Age of the King
by Majin Prince
Summary: Sequel to The Legend of Link and Zelda. One year later Link and Zelda return to their normal life while trying to adjust to their chosen destinies. Zelda discovers her role in the future while Link trains to protect her and the world. Meanwhile the growing evil returns. Can Link and Zelda save the world this time or will they fall victim to what they fear? Modern. Zelda/Link.
1. Back Again

A/N: Yay! And we're back, back again to the wonderful world of my fantasy story of Link and Zelda. This is Part 2 of my epic. If you haven't read Part 1 then go to my profile and catch up. If you don't want to then you don't have to. It'll just make more sense if you're reading this. But for those of you skipping the first one I'll leave a short summary. Anyway this one is going to take place a year later and will be much bigger than Part 1. But you'll have to read to find out!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Zelda franchise. That is owned by Nintendo and others.

Part 1 Summary: Link and Zelda disappeared for two thousand years. The world became modernized and grew to new heights. The souls of the two returned to a young boy and a young girl. They found out their destinies then were attacked by the resurrected Ganondorf. Successfully saving Zelda and defeating Ganondorf, Link helped secure peace… for a short time. Now Zelda and Link grow in their new forms and come to terms with their destinies.

Summary: One year after the events of our last story our heroes are back. They are adjusting to normal life mixed with their new fantasy destinies. Behind the vale of their connection something grows between the two. Amidst the quiet peace the enemy returns, stronger than before. Will they stop him or will they fail this time?

Back Again

Hylia, the capital of the United Hylian Nations. A beautiful city that was built on the ashes of Castle Town when the monarchy was toppled, over a thousand years ago. Now Hylia is one of the largest cities in the world and the center of the biggest nation in the world. Forgotten are the days of old, during which the royal line reigned and Zelda was princess. The days in which a castle was in the middle of the city and the people loved their royalty.

Now instead the nation is trying to keep hobbling along. Gone the time of a strong monarchy that had kept them prospering. The city, weakened from the blackout a year prior, was growing again. The blackout caused by an evil man trying to destroy the world and reshape it in his image. The city was saved by two kids who would come to save the land any time it was in need of saving. Now the city was rebuilding.

Senator Fitzgerald, Kayla's father, was at the forefront of saving the city. He helped the rebuilding and assisted in rooting out the corruption left by Ganondorf. He rose as the savior of Hylia and was widely loved. As was his daughter.

Kayla Zelda Fitzgerald.

The reincarnate of Princess Zelda. Two thousand years after her disappearance she had returned to the world. She was the beloved daughter of a kind and powerful man. Though only few truly knew who she really was. One day she would become so much more than that. A symbol for the people of her land. But that wasn't until later.

For now, Kayla Zelda Fitzgerald was just a normal thirteen year old girl living her life. Going to school, meeting with friends, all the things a young adolescent girl does. Without the worry of being the ancient crowned princess. Well she did worry about it. But it was far from her mind for the time being. If anything happened to her though she would be saved by her hero.

Kody Link Legend.

Kody was the reincarnate of Link. The thirteen year old boy housed the soul of the aged warrior of the past. Though he probably adjusted the best out of everyone. For him becoming the Hero of old was not that big of a change. He already saw fit to protect everyone around him. Most importantly Kayla.

For all of them things changed but yet remained the same. Kody was now living with Kayla and her father, enjoying his new life of luxury compared to how he used to scrounge for anything and everything. He still kept his close relationship with his sister.

Mary Malon Legend.

The young girl was apart of her mother's family line. The Keepers of the Triforce. A secret group that kept the secrets of Hyrule along with the bloodline of Link. From a young age she began studying the ancient language of Hylian passed down from her mother. After the battle with Ganondorf she began to dive deeper into the secrets and histories of Hyrule. Not to mention discovering more on the magic.

After the events of Dark December Mary's father decided he had enough with the giant city. He moved them to the country and bought a farm far away from the evils of the city. There he raised animals and stuck to the quiet life of the country. But he still worked with Kayla's father. His knowledge into Ganondorf's plans was invaluable and he worked as a private contractor for the Senator. But it required no more dangerous work. Him and his daughter were safe in their new life.

Mary and Kayla both came together and sought out the information on magic. Since they both had displayed the ability to create and control magic. Though one had to admit that Kayla was definitely more able in the fields of magic. Through the year they both unlocked many secrets and managed to harness some of their ability. But they still had a long way to go. In one instance it became apparent that only Mary could use the healing spell. For Kayla couldn't remember how to do it. No matter how many times she tried she could not duplicate it again like she had done to save Kody.

Kayla became fluent in the language of Hyrule with ease. She helped Mary learn the full language as well. But she gave up on helping Kody. The poor boy couldn't learn the language if he was gifted in knowing it. And he was!

The others still all remained close. Kari, Richard, and Micah all stayed together and worked with each other. The group of friends helped each other during the past year. They formed the special bond that could not be broken.

Nothing too exciting happened in the past year. Graduating sixth grade then going into seventh grade. And now they were nearing the end of the next year in school. In the closing days of March they found themselves looking towards summer vacation. But more importantly the future. The future that joined them to each other in a secret higher path.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of this." Kody said as he sat on the couch in Kayla's living room. He was staring at a paper as if it was in an ancient language.

"It's your grades Kody." Kayla said with a laugh and took the paper from him. She looked it over and shook her head. "You know my dad won't be happy about this." She said in a fake disappointing tone.

"I'll fix it! Maybe." He said with a shrug. Kody had gotten taller through the time. But so had Kayla. Fortunately he almost caught up to her and was only an inch shorter than her. But she was still taller. And it irritated him. He still kept his boyish appearance but did see some new improvements to the rest of his body. Since he was the Hero he had found that his muscles and abilities were double than that of anyone else his age. It made him feel more confident.

"We'll double our study sessions." Kayla offered. "You are like thousands of years old. You'd think Pre-Algebra was easy." She laughed. Kayla had grown out her hair even longer. Her blonde roots began to change her hair color to a fair golden yellow instead of the dirty blonde it once was. It grew almost all the way down her back and always seemed to be perfect. She grew taller and was just over five feet. Her facial features turned more mature and all would say she was turning into the beautiful princess with each passing day.

"Yeah but I don't think that it was invented during out time." Kody relaxed in his seat and adjusted his green hat so that it was facing backwards. "Doesn't help that I was always a whiz for combat, not much else."

"Well that does come in handy for the things we face." She said with a small smile. She walked over to the television and turned it off.

"Hey I was watching that!" Kody protested.

"No you weren't." Kayla said and walked over to sit next to him. "So?" She asked after a moment.

"So what?" He asked back, now looking at her.

"What are you getting Mary for her birthday?" She asked.

"It's her birthday?" Kody asked in shock.

"It's tomorrow, you didn't forget did you?"

"…" Kody just stared at her. Not having an answer for her. And not wanting to tell her that he in fact did forget.

"You really forgot?" Kayla sighed and walked over to the hallway behind him.

"I've been busy. You know, trying to pass the seventh grade." He said then turned to watch her open up the closet door.

"You are unbelievable." Kayla said as she reached down to get something from the closet. "Fortunately for you I thought ahead, and got presents from both of us."

While she was talking Kody's attention was lost. He heard what she was saying but he wasn't listening. Because, for some reason, when she went to get the presents his eyes followed her. And for some reason he couldn't explain his eyes went to her skinny jeans as she bent down to get the presents. Kody's eyes widened at his own actions. What the hell was he doing? Why would he be looking at her there? It didn't make sense to the young adolescent.

He quickly turned away with his cheeks burning. He shrunk down on the couch and shamed himself. For what ever just happened.

Kayla came back around and showed him the two presents in her hands. Her smile dropped as she looked at his uncomfortable stance. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." He mumbled and finally sat up. "So what did you get?"

Kayla's smile returned as she sat down next to him, setting both presents on the table in the middle. "I guess you will see tomorrow." She said.

"Fine, fine." He conceded. When Kayla set her mind to something you could hardly change it. "So when are we going tomorrow?" He asked her.

"We'll just go after school. My dad won't be able to make it. He will be at his office all day." She said as she reached into her pocket to get her cellphone. She had to get a new one after her old one was destroyed a year before during the battle against Ganondorf. Her new one was purple instead of pink. Since her favorite color was in fact purple. Kody had gotten her a new phone case for her thirteenth birthday. It was purple and had a shine to it as well as a golden crown on the back. "So it will just be us." She said.

"Is he coming back tonight?" Kody asked as he noticed the sun going down but her father had not yet arrived.

"I'm asking him right now. But we'll probably order pizza either way." Kayla said as she typed up a message for her father.

Kody silently thanked the Goddesses for blessing him with pizza. He wasn't complaining about Kayla's father's cooking but… the man can't cook. At all. Now Kody realized why Kayla loved pizza so much.

Ever since moving in with them Kody was greeted with a new lifestyle change. Kayla personally took him out shopping one day and got him dozens of cloths as well as shoes and other things. He couldn't sleep on the overly comfortable bed at first but he got used to it. As well as eating three meals a day and never having to worry about moving. But he still had his insecurities from it. He still had his bag packed in the closet upstairs because he didn't feel secure yet. It is a hard thing to have security and trust when you've grown up without it for all your life.

But he was so thankful for his new life. To be in a safe place and having people around him that care about him. But most importantly, he was with Kayla. The single most special person in his life. Spending every single day with her was the best thing about his entire new life.

And the same was for Kayla. She loved having him here with her. Not only because he was her best friend and the greatest person she knew but he was also her safety. Her security net. She didn't feel threatened with him around. And for that, she was so very thankful.

That didn't mean they didn't have their fair share of problems. They would still fight and argue but they were both so easy to forgive that those things didn't matter. It was the more awkward things that complicated their new life living with each other. For example, when Kody would accidently use her shampoo or toothbrush. She had to throw out five already. Like times when Kayla left her clothes in the bathroom and it made Kody turn bright red seeing her… lady underclothes. That and the one time that Kayla forgot he lived there and left from her shower in only a towel. Then ran into Kody in the hallway. The first time was embarrassing.

By the tenth time it was just funny.

But they got used to each other enough and somewhat comfortable. There was still some instances that made them blush and act awkward. Actually a lot of instances that became awkward. But they got past it, even if it took days.

"You didn't say if Kari was going." Kody said looking at her.

Kayla put her phone on the table before leaned back next to Kody. Pressing her shoulder against his. Kody looked at her and saw that she was sitting higher than him. So he scooted back and sat up straighter. It was terrible being shorter than a girl. Especially if that girl was your best friend.

"I don't know if she is. She has to pack for her vacation with her family. But we'll ask her tomorrow." Kayla said and grabbed the remote so that she could turn on the television.

"Well Micah and Richard are going so she'd better go." Kody mumbled. Kari was still a constant pain in his side but he had gotten used to her. Somewhat.

"Or what are you going to do?" Kayla asked with a small smile.

"I don't know. Make fun of her I guess." Kody turned his eyes from the television to Kayla. "Just cause she gets to go on vacation for spring break doesn't mean she gets to skip out on Mary's birthday."

"You forgot about it until ten minutes ago." Kayla nudged him with her elbow and looked at him with a smile.

"Still…" He faded off and looked at the television.

Kayla still smiled and let her hand rest on his right hand. "Don't worry, we'll go somewhere during vacation too."

"That's not what I'm complaining about." He said.

"I know, but you hate being stuck here. You have fun on adventures." Kayla said in a sweet voice.

"Well, yes I do." Kody said shrugging. But he did grasp onto her hand which was holding his. "My adventures is how we met." He said looking at her again.

Her smile faltered. "What do you mean?"

"Well, me. Link. And Zelda. That's how we met years ago." He tilted his head as he thought. "And I guess that's how we met as well. When I first met you in the middle of the street."

Kayla laughed softly. "Not exactly the movie type of first meeting."

"No but it's our first meeting." Kayla stared at his smile as he said that. He was so genuine and honest. Always saying what he felt without much thought as to what he was saying. His type of innocence was rare in this world. And much more rare with their lifestyle or destiny.

"You're right, it is." She agreed with a smile.

* * *

Hours later, the night crept in and darkened the house as well as the city. Shadows came out of the large estate and circled around the pair of young teens. Nightmares would frequent in the darkness, as well as hopelessness. Not much joy would be found in the nights of Hylia.

Kody's room was at the end of the hall on the second floor. Kayla's room was the first one on the second floor and her father's was located on the third. There was about forty feet between Kody's door and her door. Sometimes that was too much space.

Inside Kody's room he was in a deep dream state. With one arm off the side of the bed and half his body under the covers, the young boy was comfortable in this position. Due to the warm spring weather he just wore shorts and a t-shirt for sleep. His hat was on the nightstand next to his bed. His face was on the pillow and his untamable hair was nearly covering his entire face. His soft snores echoed in his mostly empty room.

His room was painted light green and was mostly clean minus a few clothes here and there. His walls only had one poster of an old movie he loved that Richard had gotten him for his thirteenth birthday. Next to the dresser in his room was a sword leaning against it. The same one he took from the battle against Ganondorf. In the closet was his magical butterfly net and the shield. But next to his bed was his boomerang. His trustworthy weapon and tool.

In the quiet of the night, footsteps came towards the room of the young hero. They were soft and careful not to make a sound. They crept past the other rooms and towards Kody's room. The footsteps became more careful the closer they got. Then a careful hand strategically reached out for the knob of the door. Twisting it so that there were no clicking noises that would disturb the sleeping hero. Soon the door was beginning to crack open so the person could slip in.

And then, before the dark figure could even step one foot into the door Kody woke up and grabbed the boomerang. He sat up in a flash and cocked his arm back to throw his trusted tool at the intruder. His eyes adjusted to the dark almost immediately, due to his hero instincts, and he could see who it was.

Across the room in the dark was Kayla. A hand on the door knob and her face in pure shock from Kody's sudden and immediate reaction. Kody was breathing heavy from the sudden jolt of being awake and he couldn't believe that it was Kayla and not someone else. He fell onto his back and put his arm over his eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked her in a tired voice.

"Around 1 am." She whispered back. From her voice and appearance he guessed she had been up for a while.

"Is something wrong?" He asked as he sat up again. Opening his tired eyes to see her looking down at her feet.

"I don't know." She whispered again.

Kody rubbed his face and stumbled to get up. Still disillusioned from just waking up. "Kayla…" He said, trying to goad her into talking. Kody moved towards her and stopped in front of her. He then scratched the back of his head with his boomerang. "Did something happen?" He asked again.

"I had a nightmare." She said, not looking up at him.

"Oh," he didn't have any other words than that at the moment. She seemed so vulnerable at this moment. Usually she always seemed so strong even when she was captured by Ganondorf. "I um, you wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"Not really." She said shaking her head. Kayla was wearing a giant white shirt that was most likely her father's, that went down close to her knees and shorts underneath. Still revealing a good portion of her legs. Kody was too tired to pay attention. Her hair even seemed perfect after sleeping.

"Okay, so you want to sleep in here I'm guessing?" He asked her. He may not be good with words but he was sure smart about some things.

"Can I?" She asked, looking up at him with her bright blue eyes.

Kody smiled a bit and then nodded. "Of course." He proceeded to take an extra blanket from the closet and throw it on the ground and took the pillow he was using earlier. "Good night." He mumbled and fell to the ground onto his pillow. His eyes closed and he was nearly asleep.

"Kody?" Until her voice invaded his sleep again.

"Yes?" He asked with his eyes closed.

"You want me to sleep on the bed?" She asked as she leaned down over his back to look at his face which was facing away from her.

"Yes." He said simply. "Goodnight." He tried again.

* * *

Kayla turned to the bed and pulled back the covers. She climbed into his bed and laid down, pulling the covers over her body. She looked over at Kody, who was probably already asleep on the floor. She sighed and reached underneath the neckline of her shirt to pull out the golden locket. She looked at it for a moment before looking back at Kody. Even in the dark she could see the golden lace of his own matching necklace. She smiled and then scooted closer to the edge of the bed.

"Kody?" She tried again.

This time, instead of replying lazily, Kody's eyes opened wide. He slowly turned around and looked at Kayla. "What?" He asked, trying to hold back the spite of her denying him sleep.

"Thank you." She said smiling at him. Even through the dark of the night Kody could see that perfect smile on her red lips. And his anger quickly melted and faded. Instead he sighed. "Anything." He said simply and then turned back to sleep. And was quickly out. With the boomerang under his pillow.

Kayla was always envious of his ability to sleep quickly and effortlessly. But tonight she was not envious. Instead she just simply gripped the pillow that she was laying on and looked down at her best friend. He was so kind without even realizing it. Sometimes she wonders why he is so nice to her. But for tonight she was just happy to have him in her life.

Her nightmare was all but forgotten. The dark dreams of remembering what happened to her during the events of Dark December. And the things that happened to those around her. Namely Kody.

The pain and injuries he suffered nearly killed him. And all she could do was watch. He had gone through hell and back to come and save her. And her nightmares haunted her because of that. This time it felt so real that she had to come to make sure it was over. And then he scared her when she snuck in. Guess that's what happens when you sneak up on a war hero. Or a kid with the soul of a war hero. But then he offered her to stay. She did feel bad for kicking him off his own bed but the kid could sleep anywhere. She's seen it before. Besides he was too kind. He wouldn't accept her sleeping on the floor.

She was very thankful for Kody, her protector.

* * *

A shrill alarm woke Kody up in the morning. He groaned, feeling more tired than usual. He reached out to the nightstand to turn off the alarm clock but it's not there. He opens his eyes to see his hand hitting the floor of his room and not the alarm. He turns around and looks up at his bed.

"Oh, right." He said, remembering the night before. He sat up and rolled his shoulder, feeling some pain there. The alarm clock keep ringing and he looked up to glare at it. Finally he stood up and tapped the top of it.

Kayla simply just moved around on his bed, not waking up. She turned onto her side and her hair fell out of her face. He looked at her sleeping face and tilted his head. Her face was perfect as it was. Her light skinned cheeks were moderately puffy, Kody always wanted to just sit there and poke them. So that's what he did. He had to wake her up after all right?

"Kayla?" He asked quietly as he poked her cheek. He was right, they were squishy and fun to poke. "Kayla?" He tried again.

Instead of waking up she giggled. Kody frowned. Since when did getting your cheek poked lead to giggling? Girls were weird. He poke her two more times. "Kayla." He said more loudly.

"Huh?" She said opening her eyes. "Kody?" She asked then looked around the room. Recognizing whose room she was in she snapped awake and sat up. "Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to sleep here all night." She quickly apologized to him.

"It's okay." He shrugged with a smile. "We gotta go to school now though." He reminded her.

"Right." She said then swung her legs to the edge of the bed but stopped. Instead of getting up she quickly hid her body back under the covers and scooted back away from Kody.

He raised an eyebrow at her movements. "You know, that's the opposite of what you're supposed to do." He joked.

"No I know but um… could you… wait outside?" She asked in a quiet voice. Her entire face turned bright red as she talked. She pulled the covers closer to her chin just wanting to hide under them entirely. Kody tilted his head to the side as he observed her weird movements.

"Huh? Why?" He asked, not understanding.

"I… can't say." She whispered, not wanting to die of embarrassment.

"It's okay you can tell me." Kody said. He really didn't understand her level of embarrassment at this point. And Kody was not going to understand. He was thick headed like that. It was endearing but frustrating at moments like these.

"I'm not wearing…." She whispered the last part so quietly he didn't hear her.

"Not wearing what?" He asked and leaned closer to hear her.

"I'm not wearing shorts!" She yelled, making sure he heard.

Kody immediately backed up. His face slowly began to burn as he looked her over. 'Last night when she came in wearing the long shirt and shorts, she wasn't wearing shorts… oh…' He thought as his eyes quickly looked to a certain spot on the door on the other side of the room. "Well, I will go wait outside. Or downstairs." He said walking towards the door. "Or down the street." He walked out and shut the door behind him. His eyes were wide and he shook his head. Now that was pretty awkward.

Once he left Kayla pulled the covers over her face and screamed into them. Then she slammed the covers down and jumped off the bed. "Why didn't I just put on some shorts?" She chided herself.

Later on Kody finished taking his shower and then was brushing his teeth but hadn't bothered putting on all of his clothes and was reduced to his boxers. And unfortunately Kody never could figure out how to work that thing called a lock. So when Kayla walked in to brush her teeth she came in to see Kody standing there in his boxers with his hair wet still from the shower. He stopped brushing and turned to look at her. "Sorry!" She yelled and slammed the door. She then pressed her back against the door and slid down, covering her mouth as the image was seared in her mind.

See? Told you they had awkward moments.

* * *

Later on Kody was eating some toast as he waited for Kayla to get ready. After over a year he got used to her taking forever to get ready. He wasn't so ready to see her after their last awkward meeting. Who doesn't knock before going into a bathroom? Well Kayla does.

He took another bite of toast. Then his mind went to the earlier awkward moment. She wasn't wearing shorts? Just that shirt and… under stuff. He didn't even want to go that far.

Kody was probably the purest kid around. He kept innocent of such dirty things despite being a thirteen year old boy. Not thinking about such things ever. Especially when it concerned his best friend. Even though Micah and Richard evolved into normal teenage boys, talking about girls and stuff, Kody didn't see the interest in such things.

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard her coming down the stairs. He looked up to see her wearing a tight white t-shirt that had the words: _Hylia-girl_ in gold. Along with light blue shorts. Kody quickly looked away. No doubt it would be an awkward morning. He would let her start the conversation this time.

Kody was wearing a plain red shirt and jeans. His hat was on his head along with his necklace underneath his shirt. Kayla liked to wear hers outside her shirt for everyone to see. Kody hid his. Not because he was embarrassed to have it, but because he didn't want people to make connections between them.

"Um…" Kayla started out as she crossed the room and stood in front of him. Kody looked up from the counter he was at and looked at her. He raised an eyebrow as he took a bite of toast. "That was awkward." She laughed a bit to try and lighten the mood. Kody just ate his toast and didn't say a word. Kayla cleared her throat and stood up straight. Brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "So, sorry about all that. I feel like it's my fault this morning."

"It's okay." He said with a shrug.

She then looked at a second piece of toast on his plate and stole it. "Come on, we'll be late." She said and started for the door. Kody smirked then followed along. He had his boomerang in his hand and flipped it around in his hand. As they both stepped outside he threw the boomerang in the air before taking off his backpack and unzipping it. Kayla locked the door then turned around to watch Kody catch the returning boomerang from the air and place it in his backpack.

Kayla crossed her arms. "Do you have to do that every morning?" She asked.

"Well I like to show off." He admitted as he slung the backpack back onto him.

Kayla rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. "Come on show off." She pulled him along with her as they walked down the path from the house to the road. Out in front of the house was the limo driver waiting for them.

"Good Morning Ms. Fitzgerald." He said.

"Morning Steve! Did my father come home?" She asked him.

"No, he sends his regards but he is still in office. But wanted me to make sure you two got to school." The driver said.

"Oh, that's okay. We'll walk today. But make sure to tell my dad to come home soon. It's not good for him to stay there all day." She said as they started walking towards school.

"Very well Ms. Fitzgerald. I will give him your regards. Good day to you as well Mr. Legend."

"Bye Steve!" Kayla called as they left.

"Why don't we just take the limo?" Kody asked as they kept walking.

"Because I don't like arriving to school in a limo. Draws too much attention." She said.

"True, but they all already know whose daughter you are." Kody reminded her.

"Oh shut up." She grumbled as they walked along. Kayla didn't like her status as a rich kid's daughter. People judged her because of that. And it hurt her. Kody tried to help her with that. But it was a mindset for her. Unfortunately people liked to take advantage of that as well.

"How many tests do we have today?" He asked her.

"Just one, history." She said.

"Oh great, you'd think I was good at that."

* * *

Unfortunately, it turns out they were both bad at history. Since they both failed. And had to speak with the teacher afterwards.

"So why do you think you two failed?" The teacher, Mrs. Call asked them.

"Wait I failed?" Kayla asked. She was in shock. She never failed at anything. Kody looked at her from the corner of his eye. They were both standing in front of her desk after class as the rest of the class left.

"Yes, I must say I'm quite surprised. You usually get A's on your tests." Mrs. Call said. "But I suspect you were cheating Kody."

"Cheating?" Kody was surprised by the claim. "Okay I'll admit I suck in school. Like terribly. But I have never cheated." He said.

"Then why did you get the same answers as Kayla?" She asked before taking out both their tests. "Same right answers and same wrong answers." She said going down the line. "What is Hylian?"

"A people who were blessed with the knowledge and the ability to contact the Goddesses." They both said at the same time.

The teacher sighed and set down the papers. "No, Hylian is an ancient language that was used by our ancestors."

"That's not true." Kody muttered.

"What was that?" Mrs. Call asked.

"Nothing."

"And this one, who was the leader that built ancient Hyrule? And the answer is not Princess Zelda."

"Was it Queen Zelda?" Kayla asked.

"No, that's not even remotely close." The teacher leaned closer to the two teens. "Princess Zelda was just an old legend from ancient Hyrule. She wasn't a real person."

Kody and Kayla looked at each other and they couldn't resist the laugh that came from them.

"And what is so funny?"

"Nothing Mrs. Call." Kayla said and immediately stopped laughing. Kody, however, kept laughing.

"Very well, I will have to contact your parents over this. Since it is a concern and must be addressed. Kayla I assume I can reach your father?"

"Not right now, he's very busy. But you can try." She offered, not feeling the least bit worried about this situation.

"And you Kody?"

"Well both my parents are dead." He started out. Not wanting to mention that his father killed his mother, his father tried to kill him, and he helped to kill his father. Messy things.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She then looked down at a yellow paper. "But on your family contact sheet it says that you still have your uncle."

Kody's face immediately fell. His face hardened into a glare. "My uncle has been in and out of prison for years. He's still there right now."

"Oh, I apologize I didn't know." Mrs. Call said and set the paper to the side. "Then who is your legal guardian?"

"My father." Kayla said. The teacher looked between the two of them.

"Really?"

"Yes." They both said.

"Alright… then I will contact him about both of you. You are both excused." She said.

"That was weird." Kody said as they both walked into the lunchroom.

"I know. You'd think history would be accurate." Kayla agreed.

"Don't worry about we are right." Kody said as they walked over to where their friends were sitting.

"Hey guys what took you?" Richard asked. He got much taller and very skinny. Looking pretty awkward, getting adjusted to his new height. His face turned more mature and he looked to be a high school student, especially with his growing facial hair.

"Was it because of the test?" Micah asked. He only grew a little bit. But was slightly taller than Kayla still. His voice deepened but still squeaked from the signs of puberty. His hair got even longer and was near Kody's length of hair.

"Or another reason?" Kari asked with a smug look. Now Kari was the most different. She didn't grow much taller but her hair got slightly longer. Her face began to mature so much she looked like a mature sixteen year old. And her body began to form curves that resembled a young woman. And she liked to show it off. Taking pride in her new appealing body.

"No it was the test. We failed." Kody said simply and sat down.

"Wait you failed?" Kari asked, looking at Kayla.

"Yeah that's what I said." Kody repeated.

"I wasn't talking to you, of course you failed." Kari rolled her eyes and looked at Kayla again.

"Yeah we failed, it turns out that we're wrong on the subject of Ancient Hyrule history." Kayla said as she sat in between Kari and Kody.

"Really? You two failing ancient history? I don't see it." Kari said raising an eyebrow. Even after everything they went through a year ago Kari was still the same. The rich, stuck-up, pretty girl of the group. But they all still kept her around. For whatever reason. It got worse when she got more mature.

"Apparently they changed history." Kody commented as he took a sip of soda.

"Yes, ancient history is different than it's supposed to be." Kayla agreed.

"Well that sucks." Richard commented before diving into his lunch.

"I'll be right back guys." Kayla said getting up. Kody watched her go for a moment before he turned back to his friends.

"Are you guys coming to Mary's birthday after school?" Kody asked, making sure to eye Kari.

"That's the plan." Richard said. Micah agreed with a nod. Kari, however, eyed Kody for a silent minute.

"I guess I could go." She grumbled while glaring at Kody, who offered her a cocky smirk.

"Thank you Kari."

"Screw you."

"Speaking of which, Kody…" Micah said pointing behind the thirteen year old. Kody looked over his shoulder to see Kayla standing on the far side of the room and speaking with another. He could instantly tell who it was.

"Kevin…"

Kevin was a major problem for Kody. First of all he was a bully to Kody. Always trying to fight him. But since Dark December Kevin found it more difficult to pick on Kody. Since he turned into an actual fighter with strategic knowledge. On top of that, Kevin had a crush on Kayla. He tried relentlessly to paw at her and get between the pair. So he was a problem Kody constantly had to correct.

Right now Kevin was talking with Kayla and she was laughing at something stupid he must have said. Quickly seeing what was really going on, Kody jumped up and strode over to the pair. As he made his way over he formed an excuse in his mind.

"Ahem." Kody cleared his throat and the two turned to look at him.

"What do you want shrimp?" Kevin was a full foot taller than him, and liked to brag about it.

"Kayla." Kody said, directing his words to his best friend. "Kari wants to talk to you. Something about spring break." He said in an even tone.

"Oh, okay. I'll see you later Kevin." Kayla said waving at the taller boy and heading back to her seat.

Kevin watched her go then glared at Kody, who simply smirked back at him. "You've got a lot of nerve shrimp."

"What can I say? I like to watch out for my friends." He said narrowing his eyes but keeping his smirk full on his face.

"Is it jealousy that motivates you?" Kevin asked.

"Jealousy? Of you? Are you kidding? I have nothing to be jealous about." Kody said. "You will never get closer to her than I am. I'm like your obstacle." He shrugged. "The way I see it you are jealous of me."

Kevin sneered and took a step towards the smaller boy. "That's it shrimp." He then lunged a powerful fist at Kody.

Kody saw it coming from a mile away. After unlocking his potential he could see and react to things others could not. Mainly when it came to fighting and battle scenarios. When Kevin's eyes turned dark he was waiting to see which fist it was. Kevin had brought back his right hand a bit and turned it into a fist. Kody's right foot slid back and his left hand formed into a fist as well. When Kevin's right fist came for his head, Kody leaned back to escape his reach. Kody's left fist then came up as he lunged his right foot forward and planted his fist right into Kevin's stomach.

Quickly spinning around, Kody grabbed the taller boy's right arm and pulled it behind his back. He sent the taller boy to his knees and pulled hard on the right arm. Everyone in the lunchroom gasped as he did this, all their attention on him.

"Leave. Kayla. Alone." Kody seethed and stepped on Kevin's back. Pulling on the right arm at the same time.

"Okay! I will!" He shouted.

"Good." Kody released the arm and walked away from the humiliated older boy. He walked with his head held high. He came back to his table and sat back down, despite glares from Kayla and Kari.

"You know it's not even a fair fight anymore." Richard grumbled as he handed five dollars to Micah. Indicating that they made a bet.

"Do you always have to do that to him?" Kayla asked, looking less than pleased.

"It releases my stress." Kody said with a shrug.

* * *

Far away, distant from the city of Hylia, where the shadows dwelled. Darkness covered the ancient home of Hylians. It had been hidden from the light for over a century, forgotten to all. An old village where people had lived peacefully in times of peril was now overrun with wildlife and forestry. Empty to any human life. Miles from the city was an ancient forest that few entered and less returned. Deep inside this forest, in the heart of the darkness in the area, was a monument.

This stone monument had words inscribed in Hylian that told of the Hero and the weapon he used. The weapon that had disappeared during the Last Battle for the Triforce. Being taken away with the Hero when he left the mortal realm for two thousand years. With the weapon gone the light left the forest. Allowing the darkness to grow over the area. Making the land disappear from the mortal realm as well.

But after two thousand years, the light has now returned. Sensing the power of the Triforce of Courage, and its true wielder, the Master Sword returned to existence. The Master Sword had returned to await its only one and true Hero. Materializing out of nothing, the tip of the sword came down and planted itself into the stone. The middle and top of the blade then materialized as well and finally ended with the purple winged hilt. The Triforce symbol in the middle glowed brightly. The forest then turned white with light as the darkness that fell over the land left. The sun shone down on the land for the first time in over a thousand years as the land returned to the mortal realm. The origin of the light coming from the Master Sword itself.

The Master Sword now lay in wait for the one who wielded the Triforce of Courage.

* * *

Fin.

A/N: So we're back, I hope that was a good start out chapter. I want to capture the feeling of the first one while starting a new tale all together. Because it's important to always build off what the origin is. Anyway yes they are a year older, a little more mature, and a little more funny moments. Trust me those moments between Link and Zelda will continue cause I enjoy them. So I know I haven't really given away major plot elements yet but that's how I wanted to start it out. Just to get you a feel for the characters and story about to come. I hope you guys liked that but make sure to stick around for more. Things will pick up by the next chapter.

As always please leave a review with what you think.


	2. Family Connections

A/N: Here comes number 2 I hope you are all excited because I am. As I said new plot elements will be coming in this chapter and it will give you an idea of where this story is going to be going so read carefully and leave a review at the end. That's it, not much rambling from me this time around. Enjoy!

Family Connections

"Which one do you think is hotter?" Richard asked the other two males.

"What? Come on man." Kody complained. They were walking towards Mary's house from the road that the limo driver had let them off at. Kayla, Kari, and Mary were walking ahead of the three so they were out of earshot.

"Kari." Micah said without hesitation.

"Micah don't encourage this." Kody then glared at his other friend for answering the question.

"That's what I think so as well." Richard said looking at the three girls ahead. Of course they were only talking about the two thirteen year olds and not the smaller girl with the group.

"Could you guys not, for like five minutes?" He asked them.

"What? It's perfectly normal. Guys talk about girls all the time. It's not wrong to recognize and admit that Kari all of a sudden got hot." Micah said in a normal tone. As if he wasn't talking about one of their friends in an odd way.

"Guys, they're our friends." Kody tried to reason.

"That's not an answer." Micah pointed out.

"You don't think that they talk about the same thing?" Richard asks.

"What? No." Kody then looked between the two. "Right?"

"Dude, they're girls. All they talk about is clothes and guys. Kinda like how guys just talk about sports and girls." Richard said with a laugh.

"I don't believe that." Kody said with a flat look.

They reached the front of the large ranch that was Mary's new house. Lucas, or Talon, decided to move out of the city after the events of a year previous. He found it to be much safer for his daughter. He had taken up working the life of a ranch hand like he used to be when he was younger. But he still did side work for Kayla's father in assisting in taking down Ganondorf's hidden empire.

"Dad, I'm home!" Mary yelled out as she opened the front door. Mary didn't grow much either. She looked a lot like her brother still, and had cut her hair so that it only was down to her shoulders. Though Kody said he was looking like their mother more every day.

"Happy birthday sweetheart." Her father said as he came around the corner. He knelt down to give her a hug. "I hope you're ready for your presents." He said as he stood back up.

"Of course I am!" She said with a big smile.

"Kayla, is your father coming?" He asked the girl.

"He might be coming later but he's stuck at the office." Kayla said apologetically.

"That's alright. Kody, everyone else glad you could come." He said smiling at the other kids.

"We wouldn't miss it." Kody said.

"Some of us were forced to come." Kari mumbled.

"Ignore her. So Mary, where's the cake?" Kody asked her.

"That's the best part. We get to make it!" She said excitedly.

Kayla looked to be very happy by the idea. Kari actually cracked a small smile at the idea. While all the guys groaned and looked disinterested. "It's alright. That's just for the girls." Talon said looking the boys. "We'll be going outside while they destroy the kitchen." He said.

"I heard that!" Mary yelled after him.

"I love you too." He said back and led the boys outside to the barn. He had purchased a large spot of land and some animals along with it. He had taken to his old life of blue collar work and enjoyed it immensely.

"How's things going here?" Kody asked as they walked through the barn. Talon went over and grabbed a large bag of feed and slung it over his shoulder.

"Just fine. I'm finally making money on the ranch." He said as he walked out of the barn. Kody grabbed a large bag and put it on his shoulder as well. Despite the bags weighing over 100 pounds each. Micah and Richard both looked at each other for a moment. Then they reached down and both struggled to lift one bag between them.

"That's good. Are you getting more animals?" Kody asked as they walked out towards the wooden fence that kept his few farm animals encased.

"Actually I did. Here I'll show you." Talon west the feed down near the fence and walked towards the gate. Kody set his bag down and turned to see his friends struggling with a single bag. They eventually took it to the fence and set it down, out of breath.

"You guys alright?" He asked.

"Shut up." Richard grumbled and they followed the older man.

They came around to the gate and Talon opened it. Ushering the younger boys to follow as they moved into the field. "I got her a little while ago. Mary has no idea." He explained.

"Her?" Kody asked.

Then from over the hill came a dark horse, galloping towards the group. Kody stared at the large creature with awe. The horse was certainly still young but it looked like a full grown horse with a long mane. The horse came close to the group and then stopped in front of Talon.

"Her name is Epona. She's Mary's birthday present." Talon said and reached out, petting the horse slowly. "It's a surprise."

"She's beautiful." Kody said as he reached out to pet Epona.

"Yes, I got her when she was just a baby. It's been hard to hide her but I don't have to do that anymore." He said before tapping Epona on the side of her neck. Epona got the message and then trotted off back over the hill.

"Wow that was something." Micah said. They all turned and walked back to the gate.

"Do you think the cake will actually be good?" Richard asked the rest of them.

"No." They all said at the same time.

"I thought so." Richard sighed.

"It's alright, I have a backup in the fridge" Talon said with a smirk.

"Thank the Goddesses."

* * *

"How many cups of flour?" Mary asked.

"Four." Kayla answered as she looked at the recipe.

"Oh," Mary said looking at the giant bowl of flour she just poured. The other two girls looked at it as well. "Oh well." She shrugged and went to get the other items.

"So what do you think?" Kari asked to Kayla as she looked out the window in the kitchen.

"Of what?" Kayla asked as she started pouring water into a measuring cup.

"Of the guys." Kari said, gesturing to the boys working outside.

"What are you talking about?" Kayla asked her friend before pouring the water into the flour. Mary went and grabbed some eggs from the fridge.

"The guys, do you think that they've gotten hot yet?" She asked.

Kayla shot up in a sudden start and dropped the plastic measuring cup onto the ground. "What?" She asked as she picked the cup up.

"Oh come on. We can talk about it." Kari said. Kayla turned her eyes to young Mary and Kari looked at her as well.

"Guys I'm 11 not 2. You don't have to look at me like I'm still a child." She deadpanned to the two.

"Right." Kari said then looked back at Kayla. "Well?" She asked her friend again.

"What do you mean if the guys got hot yet? What is that supposed to mean?" Kayla seemed frazzled by the notion of the idea.

"You know what I mean. They're getting older. Getting better looking, maybe?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kayla just brushed it off.

"I think they are." The two looked at the smaller girl as she said that. Mary was mixing the bowl of batter and stopped to look at the other two. "Except for my brother of course."

"Besides, that one's taken." Kari said with a smirk and eyed Kayla knowingly.

"Now what are you going on about?" Kayla asked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know what I'm talking about." Kari said raising an eyebrow.

"Kody? What about him?"

"Oh come on Princess Zelda. You know what I am talking about. You live with him. You can't tell me you haven't noticed the changes." Kari commented.

"Changes? What changes?"

"Well with Kody he seems to be… well stronger." Kari said and then pointed out the window. The group could see Kody grabbing a heavy bag and carrying it as if it weighed nothing.

"That's cause of Link. Or his other self. Real self. We haven't figured that out yet." Kayla said looking up in thought.

"Okay, but has he changed? In appearance?" Kari pressed.

Kayla's eyes widened as she remembered the events of this morning. Walking in on him after he had taken a shower. She had gotten a good look at him during that moment. And he did get stronger. In more than one way. She quickly looked away and her cheeks had burned red with embarrassment.

"Oh so you have noticed?" Kari laughed.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Kayla said, busying herself with work so she wouldn't have to relive the embarrassing morning.

"So do you like him?" They both looked in shock to the smallest girl in the group. She looked between the two with mild amusement. "What? Are you going to answer the question or not?"

Kari laughed then nudged her friend. "Kid's got a point." She said.

"Do I like him? That's not… I'm not…" Kayla sighed and walked away from the two so she could sit on the bar stool near the counter. "I don't know." She admitted. "Besides, it's Kody. He couldn't tell the difference between his feelings and a piece of bread." She said and dropped her head into her folded arms.

"That's true." Kari said and Mary had to nod. As innocent and honest as Kody was, the kid was more dense than a four foot wall of concrete.

"Give him a chance." Mary then said. "He's honest right? So when the time is right he may say something."

"Yeah, for all his faults Kody is honest with himself. More so than anyone else." Kari shrugged.

"But the question was do you like him?" Mary asked again.

Kayla thought about the complicated question. He was her best friend. And now he was her protector the Hero. But all that aside what did she feel? She felt a sense of companionship with him. Before living together she always felt like he was her safe place. The one thing she could run to. Not to mention he was honest and near completely innocent. He could make her laugh and was her shoulder to lean on. Not to mention saving her life like it was his day job. She would be forever eternally grateful for him.

But were the feelings for him stronger? She did care about him more than anyone else in her life. She trusted him more than herself. He would never hurt her. Also she had to admit he was pretty handsome. As well as very endearing and an absolute gentleman. Everything that she had come to find attractive. She knew it was a sign when instead of putting Kody up against attractive male celebrities she was putting those male figures up against Kody. And they never added up in her mind. She knew she was close, but she couldn't come to admit it.

Risking their friendship, jeopardizing the future just cause of some schoolgirl feelings she had. She knew Kody didn't feel like she did. He was a wide open book. If he felt close to what she was feeling than she would know. So she had nothing to go off of. But thinking about the risk of damaging their destinies just cause of what is essentially a crush. Not naming her feelings is what saved her in the past. But as time went on she found it harder to ignore those things inside of her. Admitting her inner feelings would be what puts their friendship in trouble. Because knowing where she felt on the situation would bring to light the fact that she wished for more. And that would always end friendships. She didn't want that at all. So she ignored her inner feelings in hope that things would not change between them.

"I don't know." She whispered.

* * *

The cake did in fact turn out horrible. The girls still forced the guys to try it and that ended with very heated arguments. But when Talon brought out the cake he had bought there was cheers. At least from the guys. Mary then opened her presents from everyone. Kayla had gotten her a full set of summer clothes, along with a gift card to get some more. Kody, actually Kayla again, had gotten her some new paint and brushes. Mary had shown a keen interest to painting and art recently. And she was quite good at it. Micah and Richard put together to buy the newest game system for her. She was not so thrilled for this gift. Kari had gotten the eleven year old a new smart phone. Much to her father's dismay.

Mary was so excited about the horse she had gotten, Epona. She had gotten to ride her around for about ten minutes before it had gotten dark and they went back inside. Then the kids sat in the living room to watch the new movie Mary had gotten from her father. Talon went to bed and left the kids to watch the movie alone. Mary sat on the far left of the couch with Kayla next to her and then Kody next to her. Kari was curled up on the chair next to it and Richard and Micah were on the floor in front of the couch.

The movie was nearing the end and Mary was fast asleep, laying horizantilly and having her head on Kayla's hip. Kayla was laying across as well so that her head was on Kody's shoulder. Kody, however, was leaning forward slightly. Very invested in the movie. He did love movies.

On the floor Richard and Micah were snoring quietly. Micah was leaning to his right side, away from Richard, while the other boy just had his head laying backwards and his mouth open. Kari was curled in her chair and fast asleep. Or faking it so that she could spy on her friends.

Kayla found it amazing that Kody could focus so well while having her weight pressed fully against him. Then again it was a movie. The only thing that could have Kody's undivided attention. That and fighting.

Kayla brought her hand up to gently clutch on to his arm. Making sure not to alert him to the contact. Her eyes drifted up to look at the hair coming out from his hat. She could see the bottom of his ears, which were now different like hers. The elf shaped ears they now shared were hard to hide but they had done a good job so far. It helped to have long hair she supposed. She could see the small outline of his concentrated face.

Sighing, she moved her head around to make it a little more comfortable. Her thoughts were breaking her again. Ignoring them was getting harder. Especially since they were so close. Well they were always close to begin with. However, spending practically 24/7 together put things into perspective. And that was that she did have feelings… and she did have to swallow them. For the sake of their friendship, and the future of the Triforce.

Her eyes darted from Kody to the television. She wanted to talk to him. About something, anything. Thinking right now was killing her. Her bottom lip became a chew toy as her nerves got the better of her. She just wished that he would do things to annoy her so that it would make things easier.

Well his undying focus to movies really bugged her. Not that she needed attention all the time. But that unnerving focus to a dumb film annoyed her.

"Something on your mind?" She nearly jumped at his voice. She looked up to see him still focused on the movie.

"What?" She asked. He couldn't possibly be talking to her right?

"You keep fidgeting. I can tell something is up." He said then looked over his shoulder at her. "And you are chewing on your lip." He stated.

Kayla immediately liked her bottom lip, trying to mend it from the chewing, and looked away from him. "You notice things too well." She admitted.

"It's what I do." He then looked back at the movie as it was reaching the climax. "So, what's up?"

Kayla drummed her fingers along his arm as she tried to put words into what she wanted to say. "Did you um…" She started but stopped.

"Yes?" He pressed her on. He may not be focused on her but he was definitely listening.

"What do you think of Link and Zelda?" She asked. Trying to lower her question to something that wasn't so groundbreaking. Something that wouldn't clue him in to what she was really thinking.

"You mean… us?" He asked, not quite getting her question. And she couldn't blame him. It was an odd question.

"No, us in the past. Our former lives. Before we came back." She elaborated.

"What about them?" He wanted her to clarify.

"Like, after all the stories and the battles, did they become friends? Or were they friends before all that, like we are?" She asked him. Quite curious in his answer on this matter.

"Didn't it differ every time?" Kody asked.

"Right, but does that mean that sometimes they were close friends? Or… more?" She couldn't help but look up at him to gauge his reaction.

"More?" His face scrunched up in confusion at the question.

"Like if they were together…"

He then looked down at her face and tilted his head to the side. "I don't follow." He admitted to her.

She groaned and sat up, taking her head off of his shoulder. "You are so dense." Once she sat up Mary's head fell off her and she laid on the couch. "Like a relationship." She finally said and then immediately regretted it. That was suggesting something.

"You mean if they got married or something?" Kody asked. Okay, she did not expect that. That was jumping too far. Or not. Since back in those days you couldn't really be in relationships without getting married. It made sense she supposed.

"Yeah I guess." She shrugged and waited for his answer.

"It's possible. Especially towards the end…" He kinda trailed off and looked away from her. Kayla got the suspicion that he knew something or was hiding something.

"What do you mean towards the end?" She asked him.

Kody shifted in his seat. He reached up and rubbed his shoulder as he tried to form a sentence. "Like the last battle or something." He said. Then he shifted his eyes from her to the television.

"You think so?"

"It's possible. I mean they were so close to each other. It's not so hard to believe that they would have gotten together, as you put it." He offered and then looked at her. She stayed silent as she hoped he realized what he had said. Though, it wouldn't be abnormal if he didn't get it. "Oh," he said and narrowed his eyes, looking at her. As if he were trying to understand. "Oh!" His eyes widened as he seemed to finally get it. "Uh…" His eyes kept darting from her to anything else.

"What?" She asked, feigning innocence with a small smile. He was basically saying that they may have gotten married. And now he understood that. This was amusing to the teen girl.

"Does that… I mean… would we…" He was gesturing his hands between the two. Like he was trying to put the words into actions. "That doesn't mean… that we, um." Never known for words he struggled even more now.

"What are you talking about?" She said making sure her voice was small and sweet. As if she didn't know what he actually was talking about. But she really did.

"Does that carry over? To us? It doesn't right?" He was tripping over his words. Making her smile even more.

"What doesn't carry over?" She asked. But he did have a point. Since they were the same, just in another life, does it carry over? Are they still essentially married, if they have gotten married in a past life?

"Um, hey maybe we should put Mary to sleep." He stood up and quickly moved over to his sister. Kayla giggled lightly at his change of topic. She actually managed to get him to be embarrassed. She would let him off the hook for now. But she was going to definitely come back to this.

She watched as he reached down and gently picked up his sister, making sure to not wake her up. As he put her head on his shoulder she got up and looked at Mary's face to make sure she was still asleep. Kody then walked slowly down the hall not wanting to move so much. Kayla followed behind him as they went.

They reached the door and Kody asked for Kayla to open it. She did and went inside Mary's room as Kody went over to the girl's bed to lay her down. Kayla watched his gentle actions with a small smile. He was always the caring sort.

She turned away to look at the stuff in Mary's room. It looked to be a normal girl's room. Pink in color, her girlish clothes decorating the floor, obviously messy like her brother. And her own paintings on the wall. Kayla liked that. Mary did have a knack for artistry…

But the pictures weren't all feminine and childish.

As Kayla looked towards the door she saw several pieces of paper that, instead of paintings, had Hylian inscriptions scribbled on them. Her eyes widened as she looked to the back of the door that was indeed a painting. But not like the rest. It was a painting of night, large buildings of the capital city of Hylia dotted the background. Red flames came from the city background and the front of the picture had bodies splayed out, dead bodies. The center of the picture had a tall man with black hair that had orange highlights and red eyes. He was wielding a large sword in one hand and the dead body of another in his other hand. He had his sword raised in the air as if he was leading the death and destruction. But Kayla immediately recognized who it was. "Ganondorf…" She breathed out.

"Kody." She whispered. He quickly came over to her side and looked at the picture with her.

"Is that… Ganondorf?" He asked but he already knew. It was.

"What does this mean?" Kayla asked with shock and worry.

"He's coming back." The two turned around to look at Mary. She was sitting up in her bed and had a worried look in her eyes. "Ganondorf is coming back. And nothing," she said with her lip trembling. "Is going to stop him from bringing this city to its knees."

* * *

On the outskirts of the city, in the abandoned warehouse sector, a large force was coming together. Men and supplies were moving in and around a small encampment. These soldiers were wearing black and orange armor and all were devoted to their cause. And their leader…

Inside the largest warehouse were the most soldiers, prepping for war. A war in where hundreds would die, most would be innocents. A single man came running inside the large warehouse. He had stars on his shoulder to signify that he was a leading officer of the makeshift army. He went by the other soldiers and pushed open large double doors into the main floor.

Inside the main floor was a large manufactory operation. Vehicles, weapons, and more were being created. Near the back were two large vats of orange glowing liquid that was bubbling. Standing near the vats were four men who were standing at attention. In the middle of them was the largest man in the room. He had his head lowered and glared at the liquid. The general went over to this tall man and cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Yes General?" The tall man asked.

"Early reports state that you were correct. The National Guard has been deployed around the city following your attack last year. Senator Fitzgerald has been leading a secret attack against the remnants of your forces in the city."

"This is not concerning. I have prepared for this. I have great worry about the map I asked for." The tall man turned his red glaring eyes to his general. "Do you have it?"

"Yes sir. My men found it and are going to recover it. It has been stored in the national archives museum within the city so it will not be easy to get."

"I assume you have a plan for this?"

"Yes, we will create a diversion to throw off the security forces as well as the Hero. As they try to piece together what we are really after we will have taken the city."

"That is good General." The tall man turned fully to glare at the shorter man. "I don't wish to remind you the state of the man who used to hold your position." He whisked around the man and moved towards a crew that was creating weapons in an old blacksmithing style.

The crew there bowed and stepped away. One man came forward and knelt down, holding forward a massive sword. It had a black skulled hilt on it along with a red glowing version of the Triforce near the guard. The blade itself was dark silver, rusted with hatred and pain. The blade was over four feet long and thicker than a human hand. The tall man reached out and grabbed the sword and held it out in front of him. "They want this to go the hard way? Then they will get it."

On the blade of the sword was a Hylian inscription.

 _Ganondorf the one true King_

* * *

The night turned out to be long for Kody. After discovering Mary's painting they had stayed up going over what she had discovered. Apparently she had nightmares of Ganondorf returning to destroy the city. And it happened to be the exact same nightmare that Kayla had the night before.

Hours of talking and figuring things out got the almost nowhere. Because it was all speculation. There were no hints to lead them to finding out what had happened. Or what was going to happen.

So they barely got any sleep. Well Mary and Kayla eventually nodded off. Kody stayed up the whole night, realizing that it was happening again. But one thing was absolutely clear. That Ganondorf was not going to be hiding in the shadows this time. He was going to fully embrace his darkness and destruction.

The morning came around and the two kids went back home. Kayla, still very tired, went up to her room and slept some more. Kody stayed downstairs and flipped through the channels. Seeing if there were any signs of chaos or anything close to Ganondorf's return. But so far, nothing.

To say he was worried was an understatement. If Ganondorf returned than he truly can't die. And that meant that Kody needed the thing, the only thing, that could kill him. The Master Sword.

There was one problem. Kody had no idea where it was or how to get it. His only hope was that there was something in the book his mother left his sister. However, he couldn't read Hylian and most of the books were written in Hylian. So he had to wait for Kayla to wake up for him to go on this endeavor.

All he could do now is wait. And that was driving him crazy. He had the soul of a warrior, he couldn't just sit and wait. He needed to do something. He needed a plan, even a strategy. Anything but being here and waiting for his enemy to attack.

He turned his head to the clock and saw that it was almost ten in the morning. He wasn't tired. Kody had the soul of a warrior. During times like these he could go days without sleep and not even feel the effects. But he did make up for it by sleeping at least ten hours a night during times of peace. His body certainly knew the time was coming to be prepared for the battles ahead.

Since it was getting late in the morning he figured that Kayla would be waking up soon. So he'd figured he would make some pancakes. They seemed to sound delicious. Kody muted the television and got up. He moved over to the kitchen and got out the supplies in order to make the pancakes. As he started mixing the batter he could hear Kayla's door shut. Meaning she was probably getting up and making her way downstairs.

Kody finished mixing the ingredients and turned around to see Kayla walking over to sit at the counter. "Did you get enough sleep?" He asked her. She was yawning and rubbing her left eye. Her hair was bunched up as well but still seemed to be perfectly straight.

"I hope so." She then stretched her arms out. Unlike last night she wasn't wearing just a large shirt and… well that was it as he found out. This time she was wearing one of her older purple shirts that was small on her after she grew taller and some dark blue shorts. When she stretched her arms up and out the shirt drifted up and came close to revealing her belly button. Kody felt the heat rush to his cheeks and turned away. Not wanting to stare at her milk white flesh. 'Block that out Kody. So much for the morning going without an awkward moment' He thought to himself.

"I hope you want some pancakes." He said, hoping she didn't notice that he was watching her before.

"You know I hadn't had pancakes before you stayed here." She said leaning forward on her elbows and smiling at him. He turned to see this for a moment before going back to work. She had a nice smile.

"Well your dad can't cook so I can see why." Kody laughed as he poured some batter into a pan.

"But how do you know how to cook?" Kayla asked.

Kody shrugged as he continued making breakfast. "I learn quick. My mom was good at cooking too. I remember some of it when I was little."

Kayla straightened up at the topic. Since the battle in the tower and the confrontation with Kody's father they haven't talked about his family. Or his mother. Kody knew that she wanted to talk about it. He could feel her eyes on his back.

"About your mom Kody…" She started.

"It's okay." He shrugged. "She was my mother. She didn't know my father was an evil man. If she did then she protected me." He said as he flipped a pancake.

"But why did she let you live that life?" Kayla asked. "Never having a safe home and bouncing around foster homes."

Kody often thought about that too. Instead of living with Mary's father he was forced to stay with his uncle who had gone to prison seven of the ten years of Kody's early life. Forcing the young kid to live in foster care.

"I think she did it to protect me." He said looking up from his work. "She knew my father would be after me so she had to hide me. Keep me from the obvious places." He shook his head and returned to the cooking. "As for my uncle I don't know. Maybe he purposefully went to prison so I would be hidden from prying eyes. Give us a chance to lay low when he got out. Or maybe he was crazy. I'll never really know."

Kayla licked her lips and rubbed her hands together. Trying to piece a more sensitive discussion. "Was it fair though, to you? To have that kind of life?"

Kody set down the spatula and pressed his palms on the counter next to the stove. "What do you want me to say?" He asked her. He turned to look over at her with pained eyes. "That I wish I could have had a better life? That I wished for something to be fair for me? Nothing is fair for life." He then gestured wildly with his arms. "I was supposed to go through things as a child to make me stronger. That is the bottom line. There is no mystery to it." He dropped his arms and sighed.

Kody reached up and rubbed his eyes. Trying to calm down over the sensitive discussion. She needed to ask these questions to get him to open up. "I can't change it. I just live with it. I mean I picked up things from my life that helped me. It helped me save you. I think that is what's important." He said giving her a small smile.

Kayla seemed to accept that and smiled as well. "I'm going to shower, then I want to see four pancakes on a plate with some syrup ready." She said getting down from her seat and walking towards the stairs. He nodded and gave a small laugh.

Before she got to the stairs the doorbell rang. Kayla stopped from her spot and looked at the door as did Kody. They looked at each other then moved towards the door.

"Who could that be?" Kayla asked. No one ever rang the doorbell. Her father would just walk in and the people that worked for him would always knock. So who could it be at ten o'clock on a Saturday?

Kody got to the door and opened it with Kayla standing behind him on the side. They looked out at a man who was just over six feet tall, wearing a large black coat and holding a small duffle bag in his hand. The man had a large blonde beard and seemed to be disheveled in appearance. He was well built too, a man who had obviously been working out for a long time. Past the beard Kody thought there was something familiar of the man.

"Can we help you?" Kayla asked the man.

The man looked from her then to Kody. Almost immediately a large smile splayed out across his bearded face. He erupted into a loud laugh and then opened his arms, dropping the duffle bag he had. "Kody! Is that really you!?" He cried out.

"Excuse me?" Was all Kody could get out before the man reached out and enveloped the teen into a big hug, picking him up in the air even.

"Oh my you've gotten so big!" He said before setting the boy back down. Kayla watched the whole exchange with wide eyes. "How old are you now? Sixteen? Seventeen?"

"Um, thirteen. I'm sorry who are you?" Kody asked still trying to process this odd man and his actions.

"Well I know it's been two years but you have to remember your own uncle!" The man said with a grin.

Kody then blinked several times and leaned forward in complete shock. "Uncle Ben? You're back!?"

* * *

Fin.

A/N: Boom. Lots of things going down in this chapter. Let's just go down the line. First, Epona! I know you are all excited to see the beloved animal make its debut. I like to make sure to bring the important things into my story. Next, Kayla's feelings. Now we will go more into discussion about this later on. Basically it will be one sided in this so far because, come on. Link is dense. But don't worry we'll get to his growing feelings much later on. So it will be fun. I like this type of character development. Alright next, Ganondorf is back. And he is not so keen for subtly this time. And there are hints as to the race for the Master Sword. Something that we will be getting into. Lastly, Uncle Ben returns. And before you say I ripped of Spider-Man I will admit that I completely forgot about that until I wrote it in this chapter… oops. My bad. But no he's Ben based off of Ben Kenobi from Star Wars. You'll see why.

Anyway as always leave a review to tell me what you think.


	3. Trifoce of Courage

A/N: Alright so where are getting into chapter 3 and the start of… well things aren't going to pick up too much right now. This is like the last boring part before the start of the intense things. Anyway let's just get right into it and see where things go from here.

Triforce of Courage

"Ah pancakes what a way to welcome your uncle home!" Ben Legend said as he walked in and seemed to make himself at home. Kody was still stunned, staring at the empty doorway. Kayla watched Ben go and then looked back at Kody.

"That's your uncle?" Kayla asked.

"Apparently." Kody said and then looked at his uncle who was making himself a plate of pancakes. The two teenagers walked over to the kitchen and watched as the older man then poured syrup on his pancakes.

"So, Uncle Ben." Kody started out as he watched his uncle start inhaling food. "What are you doing here?"

The older man stopped eating and swallowed his mouthful of food. "Well I came to pick you up of course. It's time to go back home." He said simply.

Kayla became rigid at this statement. She was standing to the side of Kody and reached out. She clutched onto Kody's right arm and he looked back at her before looking back at his uncle. "Home?" He huffed and shook his head. "I am home. Kayla's father adopted me, I live here now."

This seemed to catch the older man's attention. He looked past his nephew to Kayla. "Kayla is that you?" Ben had been around when the two were first friends. He loved the girl like she was family. Or so it seemed. "My you have grown." His eyes turned back to Kody. "You got a long way to go right kid?" He winked at Kody.

He then turned back to his food and cut more pancakes to fit into his mouth. "But back to the point. I'm here so now we're going back kid." His nickname for Kody was evident. Kid, something Kody was not very fond of.

"Back to what?" Kody asked, his eyes turning into a glare. "There is nothing to go back to. My home is here now and you're not taking me away from that."

"I realize you want to stay here and protect the young lady but you've gotta come with me kid." He said.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Really? How do you expect to protect her then?"

"I… what?" Kody looked at Kayla to see if she heard the same thing as he did. His uncle continued, however.

"You want to protect her? Then do something about it. Standing around and doing nothing is going to get you both killed."

Kody took a step forward as if to hear him better. Kayla followed close, still clutching onto his arm. "Do you know what you are talking about?" He asked in a careful tone.

"The mark on your left hand." Ben turned his head so to look at him from the corner of his eye. "Something big happened while I was gone right?"

"You know about the Triforce?" Kody asked him.

"Of course I do." He said with a smile. "Your mother and I were apart of the secret order that kept the Triforce save. Well you really." He gestured to him with his fork.

"So you did know, this entire time!" Kody glared at his uncle. "And you kept it a secret from me! That was a little piece of advice I should have known."

"When I last left you were seven."

"Eleven."

"That's what I said. Anyway, I didn't think it was going to be a big deal while I was gone." He said and turned back to his food. "But then all that stuff happened."

"You brush this off like it's no big deal." Kody said with a frown.

"It's in the past isn't it?"

"You're not really filling in a lot of blanks." Kody deadpanned.

"It's not really my job to. I'm just supposed to keep you safe until you reach your full potential." Then he stopped and looked at Kody. "Also to help guide you to your full potential. Among other things."

"Full potential?" Kody then held up the back of his left hand. "I have the Triforce, what more would I need?"

Ben laughed and then turned around to face his nephew. "Fine, I'll tell you what, if you can take this knife from me then you get to stay here." He then extended his left hand that held the butter knife.

Kody looked back at Kayla who looked back at him. She gave him a little nod and patted his arm reassuringly. He then stepped forward and she released his arm. Kody walked towards his uncle until he was only a foot in front of him. Kody looked from the knife to his uncle's grin.

He was confident in his ability. After all he was faster and stronger now. That showed in school at least. He didn't lose many fights anymore. Sure he had to fake losing some otherwise it would be weird if he won every fight now. But Kody was still a great fighter. At least with his reflexes and fighting knowledge. He knew he was lacking in skill but he could make up for it with his speed.

With quick speed, Kody reached out for the knife. His uncle threw it up in the air and then hit his hand away with his right hand. Kody then reached up to grab the knife with his left. Ben reached up to grab Kody's wrist and turned him around. Ben then kicked his leg put and hit Kody in the back. Kody stumbled forward and hit the table. He steadied himself on the wooden table and turned around to see that his uncle got the knife and came at him with it.

Reaching out, Kody grabbed a plate and flung it like a Frisbee at his uncle. Ben dodged the plate as it went flying past him and hit the wall. Shattering into pieces. Kody went towards Ben and the two engaged in close combat. Ben blocked two punches from the younger boy, using only the back of his left hand. Kody then aimed his right fist at Ben's head, going for the jaw. Ben sidestepped it and grabbed his wrist, pulling it to his side. Making Kody defenseless. Ben then reached out and stuck the dull knife to Kody's throat. The teen widened his eyes as he looked at the weapon that would kill him if it were sharp.

"Now you see kid, that you need skill and you can't count solely on your ability." Ben released him and stabbed the knife into the table.

Kody clenched his teeth together and glared as his uncle walked away from him. He could feel Kayla staring at him with worried eyes. He knew that she didn't want him to go. Watching him get beaten like that was new and it would raise questions. He wasn't as good as he thought. And that meant he couldn't protect her. He wasn't going to get better without help. If he could guess what she was thinking it was that she didn't want him to go, but he had to go.

But he wasn't thinking straight right now. Instead he was angry. More at himself than anyone else right now. But still his anger had to be directed at something. So he did the only thing his mind could process right now. He went after his uncle and cocked his fist back. Kayla screamed at him to stop but he was already mid-attack.

His uncle was ready for this however. He whirled around and caught Kody's fist. He turned the young teen's weight against him and flipped him over his shoulder. Kody flew in the air and landed on his back. He gasped as the air was knocked out of his lungs and grabbed his chest. Ben towered over the young boy and then knelt next to him. "That temper is dangerous. Better reign that in kid." He reached down and patted him on the shoulder. "We'll fix all that. Now get your stuff."

* * *

"Why do you have to go with him?" Kayla asked as she stood in the doorway watching Kody collect his items. After that last encounter Kody submitted to his uncle's wishes and went to get his stuff so he could go back to living with his uncle.

"You saw what happened." Kody said then stopped shoving clothes into his bag to look at her. "If I can't beat him how am I gonna defeat Ganondorf when he comes back? I can't protect you if I can't protect myself." Kody turned back and grabbed onto his boomerang and put it into his back pocket.

Kayla knew he was right. She didn't want to say it, cause his pride was hurt already. But she didn't want him to go. She didn't know when she was going to see him again if he left. "How long is it going to be?" Kayla asked in a soft voice.

Kody finished stuffing his clothes in his bag and then reached out for his sword. "I don't know. Probably a couple weeks." He inspected the long blade and then slid it into its sheath. "Depending on how fast I can learn these things." He then turned around and looked at her. Kayla couldn't help the sadness in her eyes.

Kody looked at her a while then turned his blue eyes to the side. "I'm sorry." He said and then walked towards her. "It won't be forever. I'll be back I promise." He said standing in front of her.

"I know you will. It's just so… sudden." She said and gave him a sad smile. She then took the one step forward and collected him into a hug. Kody was still new to the whole affection and human contact thing. So it still took him a moment before he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her back. Kayla blinked back tears and pressed herself tight against him. Fearing of what was going to happen. "I can't believe this is happening again." She whispered.

"We knew it was going to keep happening. That's why we need to be ready." He said back. "I promise, this time I won't let you be taken away from me." He clutched her harder to his body. Not wanting to release her. But he had to let go.

"I want to be brave." She whispered into his ear. Turning her head slightly so that her lips were almost touching his pointed ear. "I want to be the strong one. But it's hard." She admitted to him.

"You're the strongest of all of us." Kody reassured her. "Without you nothing would be possible." He leaned back and brought his hands up to her shoulders. Giving her a kind smile. "I mean I don't know how I could have kept it together like you if I was in your position the last time." He said honestly. He didn't know if that was true. But being stuck while all his friends were out trying to save him would have driven him crazy. But she managed to hold it all together. In his eyes she had a much stronger will than he did.

"You're too kind sometimes." Kayla said looking into his eyes. "And you're far too honest." She leaned forward and gently touched his cheek with her lips. It couldn't even be registered as a kiss, more like a touch. Small and short but enough to get the Hero to blush bright crimson and look away. "Come back to me… Link." She giggled a little as she said his real name. It was still too funny to call him that.

"Zelda." He said hers and instead of laughing he graced her with a genuine smile. One that only Kody could give her and make her stomach turn into butterflies. She blushed slightly as she stared at the smile with wide eyes. He was too damn good and he didn't even know it. Which was fine. Less he knew the better.

Kody then turned back and grabbed his bag, his sword, and his shield. Also, he took his cellphone and put it into his pocket. Kayla got him a cellphone after all the things they went through in the last battle. She made sure he would use it as well. He then walked towards the door and down the hall. Kayla remained in the doorway, not wishing to watch him leave. It wasn't goodbye forever. But with the threat of Ganondorf returning and the result of the last time they went up against him made it feel like it was goodbye for a long time. Not knowing when they were going to see each other was the scariest thing for Kayla. Not because she was worried about her own protection, but because she was worried about her friend's safety. More than anything she wanted him to be safe. So if he had to go train with his uncle then so be it.

Kayla stared into the now empty room her best friend once owned. After everything he would want to stay here again right? Because he liked it here. Right? She hoped he did. Because she liked having him here.

After the teenage boy left Kayla finally got her chance to shower and get ready for the day. Throwing off her sleeping pattern was not something she ever enjoyed. Kody could sleep whenever he wanted but she liked keeping to a set schedule.

She went downstairs to clean up Kody's mess and have some of the pancakes he had made. Missing her friend even more, she decided not to stay home and took a walk outside. She had made it only a block or two when her phone started ringing. Getting excited she assumed it was Kody but when she took out her phone to look at it she saw the caller ID was for Mary's house. She frowned at her disappointment but answered it nonetheless.

"Hello?" She asked holding her cellphone up to her ear.

"Kayla," Mary said on the other line. "I think I figured something out to help us fight Ganondorf this time!"

* * *

"This is your training?" Kody asked, raising an eyebrow. His uncle took him back to an older looking house that was way out in the countryside. It was a far greater distance than Mary's house was and looked as though no one had lived in it in years. Ben had said that it was his and Kody's mother's childhood home. The house seemed to be normal enough, but there was a hidden staircase underneath the fireplace that led to an underground training chamber. And it was huge! Kody could say it was easily as large as a normal house, just more wide open with no furniture or walls.

"The most complex combat techniques start with the simplest skills. The most important skill to have in a fight is speed." Ben said as he circled around Kody. "Speed is easily taught but not easily learned. You may have noticed your speed increasing once you gained the Triforce from the Goddesses. But you have much to improve on." Ben stopped in front of Kody and stared down at the boy. Kody was sitting on the ground looking from him to drips of water that fell from a pipe above the two. "Now, move your hand through the water so that your hand does not get wet." His uncle instructed.

Kody rolled his eyes but then shook his right hand. He turned his eyes to the dripping water and readied his right hand. He then lurched out with great speed, attempting to pass his hand through without it getting wet. But when he tried to pass his hand through a drop of water hit the back of his hand. He returned his hand and wiped the water off on his sleeve.

He tried it again and again his hand got wet. He groaned and wiped his hand off. "The water falls down randomly, how can you call this training?" Kody complained. He was getting frustrated with himself so he was making excuses.

Ben smirked and stood near the dripping water and pointed up. "The pipe has a small incision just for this. He water falls at a consistent rate, timing and speed is everything. Your mother and I both had to do this when we were a little younger than you." He explained.

"You guys did this when you were younger than me? That's impossible!"

Before Kody could make one more comment, Ben whisked his hand through the falling water at greater speed than Kody. He then flipped his hand over so that Kody could see that back, and could see that no water was upon it.

Kody frowned at the sight of this. "You have reached this point where you think just because you are the chosen Hero that you are naturally better than anyone else." Ben said with a blank face. He was digging into his pride and bringing it crashing down. Truthfully, Kody had gotten a bit prideful and it wasn't helping his natural skill. This was to help him. "You are still a mortal. And being mortal you must remember there is always someone out there that is better than you. And yes even you great Hero." Ben then turned and went for the stairs that led up to the house. "I'll leave you here for a few hours. Think about it." He said before he left.

Kody watched him go with a glare. He didn't want to admit it, but his uncle was right. Pride had gotten to him this past year. Thinking he was better than everyone else just because he was the Hero. He was very wrong earlier this morning. To think that he was the best just by skill alone. Fact of the matter was that he did need to train in order to stay the best. To keep everyone safe. To keep Kayla safe.

Kody let his anger and frustration melt away. He realized that he indeed needed this. Needed to be taken down a notch so that he could see his own faults and therefore correct them. And his fault was believing that he was now invincible and didn't need to rely on anything, or anyone, else.

Now he focused on the water dripping down in front of him. Speed, something he had over Ganondorf. Probably the only thing. Kody remembered their first battle well, the only reason he lived was because of his speed. But he still had to get even faster. So that no one could use that against him.

Looking at the back of his left hand, Kody watched the glowing triangle of the Triforce light up. He still didn't know what it meant when it lit up. But he guessed that meant that he was tapping into his inner soul. The soul of the Hero. He clasped and unclasped his left hand and then held it out in front of him. He moved his hand across the dripping water but it still caught some water on his hand.

He let out a frustrated sigh and then wiped his hand off to try again. And again. And again. For several hours Kody did nothing but attempt to move his hand through the falling water. And he kept failing. The drops were coming down too fast or he was too slow. Or a little bit of both. He never gave up though. He kept trying and trying.

As the hours ticked by he felt his arm get tired. He still pushed through it. Wanting nothing more than to be better. Better than anyone else so that nothing could bring this world harm.

Kody got to the point where he had to take a moment. He had to stop to center himself. The only reason he was failing was because he was holding himself back in some way. And he needed to break that. He set his arm down, letting the feeling return to his arm. While his body rested he began to take deep even breaths. It started to work as he felt what was holding him back.

Fear.

Now Kody wasn't afraid of normal things. No, he was the Hero after all. But he did hold fear in his heart. Fear of failure. He feared failing his family, his friends, Kayla. He didn't want to fail them. So he feared trying his best and failing. Cause if he didn't try his best then he wouldn't fail. It seemed stupid but it held him back.

Fearing the failure kept him from making choices the logical way. His mind could process things at an alarming rate but since he was afraid he held back. The need to separate that from his mindset was something he had to do. But he didn't know how to do it.

"So now you see?" Kody looked up to see that his uncle had returned finally. He was looking down at the teen with a proud look in his eyes. "You fear letting everyone down, so you unconsciously hold yourself back." Ben then sat down across from him, the dripping water separating the two.

"How do I let that go?" Kody asked with sincerity.

"There is no easy way to let go of fear that great." His uncle admitted. "With time you'll learn that you don't need to fear failing. Failure is apart of human nature." He offered his nephew a small smile. "But succeeding is simply admitting that you failed and then moving on. You can never dwell on your mistakes."

Kody listened intently. His uncle was right. There was no easy way of getting rid of his fear, but with little steps he could do it. Kody gave him a single nod and then looked back at the water between them. He held up his left hand again. Taking in a deep breath he released half of it, and then whisked his hand through the dripping water once more. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for him. He could see a single drop coming from above and going towards his hand. Kody then moved his hand across even faster than the weight of gravity. His hand came from the area of the water and back to his side. Completely dry.

Kody looked at his hand then smiled and looked at his uncle. Ben returned the smile with a small nod. "You are learning, therefore you are getting better." Ben then stood up and started walking away from the teen hero. Kody quickly stood up as well.

"Uncle Ben, I um… wanted to know some things." He said. Ben stopped and then turned to look at his nephew.

"Like what?" He asked Kody.

"You and mom… you knew about all this? Our whole family?" Kody asked him.

"That's correct."

"Well, can you tell me all about it?" Kody felt like he deserved some answers. Why everything happened the way it did happen. But what was more he needed to know everything about his family and their history.

"Alright." His uncle walked over to a large wooden barrel and kicked it to its side before sitting on it. "Where to begin? Oh right this starts with you." He said pointing at Kody.

"Me?" The young teen sat in front of his uncle like a kid awaiting anxiously to hear a story. Which he basically was.

"Yes, two thousand years ago, give or take a decade, Ganondorf went to steal the Triforce one last time." He started out.

"Yeah I know that part." Kody said.

"Ah but you don't know the full story." Ben said holding up a finger. "See Ganondorf wasn't trying to steal the Triforce this time. Instead he was trying to destroy it."

"Destroy it, why?"

"No one knows for sure." Ben said with a shrug. "Maybe he got tired of losing for thousands of years. He got sick of the Triforce. Probably what it was. Anyway you and Princess Zelda went to stop him atop of Death Mountain. This was known as the Final Battle for the Triforce." Ben paused for dramatic affect. For whatever reason. "Anyway that last battle went against Link, or you, and Ganondorf was going to kill all three of you and leave the world in darkness without the power of the Goddesses. But the Princess recognized this and did something with magic. I'm not sure on that part, frankly no one is."

"So you don't know what happened?"

"In the end all three of you were sealed within a magic time spell. And you all disappeared for two thousand years."

"Okay but how does are family tie into this?"

"Well during this time you had a younger sister. Malon. Before the people of Hyrule lost touch with the Goddesses they graced her with a message. And that message was that they and the three would return one day. And to wait for that day and guard the secrets of the Triforce. So we became the Guardians of the Triforce. The ancient family line of Link the Hero went out and took the artifacts of Princess Zelda and Link and kept them safe. We also passed down the knowledge of everything around the ancient secrets of magic and the Triforce. We were destined to keep it safe until you returned and you did." Ben finished with a smile.

"Then what about my mom?"

Ben's smile went away as the subject came up. "When our parents passed your mother became the leader of our small group. She took a lot on. Including having you."

"Did she know who I was when I was born?"

"Of course! The only one who knows who a boy will grow up to be is their mother. She knew you would be Link. Or that you are Link. When I held you for the first time I knew as well. You are Link there was no denying that." Ben then frowned again. "But she was too kind for this world. Your father… we didn't know what type of man he was. Not until it was too late. But before that she told me that they would be looking for you. All your life. And that I had to protect you until you were ready."

"Going to prison and all the foster homes, that was on purpose?"

"Yes. They would track us down and I would cause a ruckus and then go to jail. You would be in foster care under a different name. That's why no one could ever keep track of you during all that. And why you had to reenter the same school every year. Because Kody Link Legend never existed. Only a birth certificate. You never knew this but it's what kept you safe until you truly became the Hero."

"Oh…" Kody looked at the ground. His whole life was a product of his family. Trying to keep him safe through all these years. "This whole time and I never knew…"

"You weren't supposed to." Ben said with a small smile. "You were supposed to grow up as normal as can be. Besides the rocky childhood and everything."

"Well, I guess I owe you my thanks for that."

"Don't thank me yet." Ben said as he stood up. He turned around and grabbed onto the sword that Kody had taken from his battle last year and another sword. He tossed the young boy his sword and then held up his own. "You never did tell me how you got that sword."

"Took it from a guy I beat in the battle last year." Kody said as he caught the sword with ease.

"Fair enough. Once your training is complete then you'll receive a finer blade." Ben held up his word and showed the shining silver metal to Kody. It was laced with Hyrule inscriptions and had a blue hilt with a small guard and a chain hanging from the bottom of it. "The sword of your family. Passed down so it could return to you." He said.

"I thought my weapon was the Master Sword?"

"Ah, but do you have the Master Sword?" Kody just looked at him, indicating no he didn't. "The Master Sword is the weapon you will use to defeat evil and cleanse the land. But you always have to have a backup." He whirled the sword around in his hand then smirked at his nephew. "Now let's see what you've learned."

"But all I learned was to move faster!"

"I know."

* * *

"What are we doing here Mary?" Kayla asked as the two walked to the back of the library. Kayla went over to Mary's house after she called and then the two went to the library. Mary hadn't given her much context to what she had discovered. And somewhere along the line Kari jumped in with the two.

"I need a book." She said simply and went scouring down the aisles of books.

"What book?" Kari asked.

"A book about the artifacts kept in the museum." Mary said as she went to the back of one of the last rows of books.

"What do you hope to find?" Kayla asked her.

"In the last dream I had I saw a forest with the Master Sword in it. The forest was lit with the sun shining on the sword." She said as she went looking at the books. Searching for a particular title. "Then darkness came into the forest and the Master Sword was covered with weeds that had thorns. And it destroyed the sword." She said as she stopped walking and looked at a few select books.

"What do you think it means?" Kayla asked as she shared a look with Kari.

"It means that is what Ganondorf must be after." She then grabbed a book and began to flip through it quickly.

"But no one knows where it is. It's been gone for thousands of years. Along with the land it's supposed to be in." Kari said. And she was right. It, along with the land of old Hyrule, had disappeared from the world somehow. Magic most likely.

"True but there is an old map kept in the museum that leads to the Lost Woods, where the Master Sword is. If everything is happening then the Lost Woods should be back and that map will lead us there." Mary said as she finally stopped on a page and turned to show it to the other two. It was a photograph of a map siting in a glass case inside the museum.

"So this map should work now based on the theory that the place actually exists now?" Kari asked, not seeming to buy this.

"Why do you always have to be so pessimistic?" Mary groaned as she shut the book.

"Someone has to be. You guys are all so optimistic." Kari turned and started walking away.

"Haven't you had these dreams Kayla?" Mary asked her as they walked after Kari.

"No, I have dreams and stuff but mine are different. They are visions. They are very short and happen in different times. Like some of my visions show far into the future, things that haven't happened yet." Kayla explained.

"So you've seen the future? What's that like?" Mary asked, clearly interested.

"It's just short flashes. But there are things I've seen that have yet to happen. And I'm afraid for them to happen."

Kayla's mind replayed one particular vision. She was much older in this one and she was wearing an elegant white and purple dress with a golden crown upon her head. She was sitting in front of a throne, there were dead bodies all around her in the room. But she was holding one bloodied body that her tears fell on. The body that she held close to her as if he could come back.

The body of Link.

* * *

 _Three days later…_

"My lord." A man came and kneeled before a large black throne. The throne was made of ebony metal, forged out of the fires of hatred. Upon the throne Ganondorf sat, his sword stabbed into a white rock in front of him. In his left hand was a large spiked chain that went down his throne and disappeared behind his dark throne. His throne was situated in a makeshift castle, located in a former mining city outside of Hylia. The castle was still being constructed, only the throne room was built. The workers quickly worked to build their lord's castle. Where he would rule the land from.

"Speak." Ganondorf said as his red eyes focused on the man.

"As you suspected sir the initial security forces are controlled to the middle of the city. They wouldn't be able to form a guard when we strike."

"What of the Hero?" Ganondorf growled out. His silver and black armor was dulled, with no shine to it. His cape in the back was thrown to his left side along the throne.

"We… we have lost track of him sir. He's been missing from the Fitzgerald household. We can't track his movement."

"Is that so?" The chain Ganondorf was holding began to rattle. From behind him a beast came out of the shadows. The spiked chain was wrapped around the collar of the beast that looked like a wolf but far more terrifying. It growled at the man in front of Ganondorf as it came in front of its master. Ganondorf reached down and stroked the fur of his pet. "And what of the map?"

"General Rowe has his men on it and they will be securing it within the week, my lord." The man said bowing his head.

"The week? No." Ganondorf stood up and looked down at his subject. "I want it in two days. In three we strike." He took a step forward. "I want that map. Inform General Rowe that if he doesn't secure the map then he should secure me his head." Ganondorf said as he tightened his fist.

"Y-yes sir." The man quickly scurried off to inform the general.

Ganondorf turned back around and sat upon his throne. The beast on his chain curled up and laid before its dark master. Ganondorf reached out and grasped onto the hilt of his sword. Tapping his fingers along it.

"This will be the dark age for Hyrule."

* * *

Fin.

A/N: And here we go. The end of the opening arc and the start of the next. As you can tell it will most likely be a race for the Master Sword along with Ganondorf coming to destroy everything. I'm portraying Ganondorf far more evil and sinister in this one because as the title says: Age of the King. This is basically his coming out party. Him achieving his destiny in order for Link and Zelda to achieve theirs. Because a hero is only as good as his villain right? And so the training of Link begins as well. Will he be stronger than before? Will he be able to overcome his fear to save everyone? Will Zelda and the others get the map in time? Will they get to the Master Sword first? Will Zelda be captured again? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!

Wait, no.

Find out next time on The Legend of Link and Zelda!

Yes, that's it.

As always please leave a review telling me what you think!


	4. Age of the King

A/N: And now we get to the title chapter. Age of the King. As you can probably guess this will be a fun chapter. At least I think so. A lot of things we need to cover in one chapter so I hope you have your popcorn and you are ready for the fun about to start. A few things to go over right quick. So Kody and Kayla don't have their names yet and that is on purpose. The point I'm making with it is that the characters don't take their real names until they accept their role. So they are not Link and Zelda because they have not fully accepted their roles. Also, I wanted to point out that Ben is based off the unnamed uncle from the game A Link to the Past. One of my favorite games ever.

This took me a while because I had to redo the whole chapter because I kept putting in too many scenes that weren't propelling the story. Even though I loved these scenes I had to cut them in effort to move the story along. Also I wanted to write the entire next chapter as well so that I made sure I got everything aligned and moving forward. So look for that soon. Alright that's it, here's the chapter!

Age of the King

 _Two days later…_

The darkness outside began to give way to the morning sun as a new day started in Hylia. Many were still sleeping and have yet to get up. Near the middle of the city was the large estate of the Fitzgerald household. The man of the house, Senator Fitzgerald, was up and working in his office. Doing many… Senator things.

Upstairs his daughter was sleeping peacefully for the first time in a while. Nightmares still plagued her in the past days and without Kody she didn't feel as safe. But the past night she decided to switch something up in her sleeping arrangements. She was sleeping in Kody's room.

The room still had many of Kody's things in it, so it felt like he was here. And it caused her to sleep easy while he was away. On the nightstand next to her was a small book that was written in Hylian, detailing the role of the Hero and the Master Sword. Next to that was her phone which started beeping.

Kayla groaned in her sleep and moved her head over in the pillow. Her blue eyes slowly opened to look at the phone. She lazily reached out and pressed the button so it could light up to see what time it was.

6:52

She frowned and then looked to see who had texted her. She saw Kody's name and then immediately sat up, feeling wide awake now. She used her left hand to brush her hair out of her eyes and unlocked her phone to see what he sent.

 _Day 6, if anyone is counting._

She smiled at the message. Once she got him a phone she also taught him how to text. And that was easier said than done. He had been texting her the past couple days at odd hours. She guessed it was when he would have a break most likely.

 _I've been counting. How are things going?_

She hit send and then looked up from her phone. The room seemed so empty right now. Kody took most of his things when he left and only a few things remained. It made her feel empty as well.

She looked back at her phone as it beeped once more.

 _I'm getting better. My uncle refuses to hold back and I appreciate that. But I did get hit again._

Kayla frowned and sighed. He told her that his training had included using real weapons and he had gotten hit multiple times. She did not approve of this and told Kody often.

 _You need to tell him to stop using real weapons. It's not helping if you get hurt. No matter what he says. Where did you get hit?_

She set her phone to the side and then rubbed her eyes. Getting the sleep out. There was no chance she would be getting anymore sleep. Kayla threw her legs over the edge and stood up from the bed. Ever since that one night she had managed to wear shorts all the time. Even if Kody wasn't here she didn't want a repeat of such instance again.

Kayla pushed her hair back behind her and stretched her muscles. Going through a mental checklist of her mind of what to do today. That was when she remembered.

Today was the day they were going to steal from the National Archives Museum.

It was Mary's plan and Kayla had given the means to do it. Kari just wanted to come along for the ride. They all knew it was risky, but if Ganondorf really was after the Master Sword then they had to steal the map before he could. It wasn't the smartest choice but it was the best option at this point.

Kayla looked down at the shirt she was wearing. It was one of Kody's that he left. Usually when a girl wore a guy's shirt it would be much larger on her but in this case it was the same size. Since Kody was still an inch shorter than her. Kayla blushed and tugged at the bottom of the shirt. Embarrassed if he saw her wearing it. But he didn't need to know, right?

Her phone dinged in time to get her cheeks to stop burning.

 _It feels like I've been hit everywhere. But using real weapons helps me get used to real combat. And I'm sure I'm gonna need that._

She knew he was right. This was the whole reason he was going to get training in the first place. So that he could beat back any evil act that could come in the future. To protect everyone, including her. So she thought over this before typing out her reply.

 _Please be more careful._

Short and quick to the point. Then she set her phone aside and told herself not to answer it. Kayla then went out of the room and towards the bathroom. She needed to shower and get ready for the day. It was a very big day for her.

The day that they were going to steal a national document from a government building. If Kody was here he would surely make a movie comment.

She showered then spent over 40 minutes doing her hair. Kayla wasn't a girl who was big on makeup or appearance, but she did spend time on her hair. Making sure it stayed in its perfect wavy form. She dressed in a green shirt and jeans, putting on her socks and shoes as well. She went back into Kody's room and grabbed her phone and a purple hat. She went back into her room and grabbed the stun gun that Kari had gotten her a year before. You know, just in case.

Kayla went downstairs to see that her father was sitting in the front room along with two other men. She recognized one as Senator Lizan, her father's friend. The other was Security Chief Maldon. A long time friend of the family and head of the United Hylian Nations Security Force. Kayla slowed her steps and stood quietly, listening in to their conversation.

"The reports are sound. The far east of the city has been abandoned for years. Those factory plants have been closed for over eight years. Yet we have found power spikes coming from that." Security Chief Maldon said.

"What have we done to investigate that?" Her father asked.

"We are stretched thin as it is. It will take time to build up a squad and send them out. For this alarming power spike I would like to request a very large force." Maldon said.

"Why is it we want to send a large force to this spot just because of a power spike?" Senator Lizan asked.

"Supplies have been sent towards that way as well." Her father pushed for a folder to the other Senator. "The alarming amount of supplies and what they are is what raises questions." He added.

Senator Lizan flipped through the folder for a moment before setting it down. "1 ton of iron. 2 tons of steel and an unspecified amount of copper. I must say this is distressing. But do you think it is the Raoh boy?" He asked.

"Yes, he is an enemy of the country and is most likely trying to build up his force to attack the city. We have already requested reinforcements from the other cities but I doubt they will get here in time."

"Time for what?" Lizan asked.

"The attack." Security Chief Maldon said as he stood up and walked over next to Lizan. He pointed to a piece of paper on the table in between the men. "The spikes in power have been rising but in the last three days it has reached maximum heights. Most likely prepping for war."

"So what do you suggest?"

"We will send you with your team." Kayla's father said. "How much do you want?"

"Half the infantry." Maldon said.

"Half!" Lizan said aghast.

"Along with seven companies of the armored squads." He added.

"Seven? You cannot be serious. That will leave the city at half force. If there is an attack on the city it will fall." Lizan said.

"If this force hits the city it will fall." Maldon said. "I don't know if we can't destroy them. But I will certainly put a large enough dent that they would have to put off an attack for months. Enough time for our other forces to arrive in the city."

"You do not expect to win?" Kayla's father asked.

"No, I have no illusions of it. If all the estimates are true his force is larger than our entire security force in the city. But if I can hit them with a large force now it will catch them by surprise and throw them off. This is the best chance we have."

Kayla, listening to all this, clenched her hands together. It seems her father had picked up on the threat that Ganondorf presented. And now they were saying that there would be no hope for victory until they get more forces. And since Ganondorf was practically invincible she knew that it was impossible. Hearing their long friend talk about sacrificing himself to save the city was heartbreaking. She didn't know what her father was going to do. She didn't know what he could do.

With that thought she came to herself. What could she do? She was Princess Zelda. Leader of the people of Hyrule and heir to a long gone throne. She knew that she must have had to make choices like this in the past. And that she certainly would have to make these choices in the future. How could she stop this? How could she protect her people? She didn't know. But the only thing she could focus on right now was trying to get the Master Sword into Kody's hands. The only hope they all had.

"Father." She said finally. The three men turned to look at her.

Her father stood up and walked over to her. "Sweetheart, I hope we didn't wake you." He said coming over and giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

"No, I have been awake for a while." She said.

"I will speak to my daughter for a moment gentlemen. If you would excuse us for a moment." The two men nodded and proceeded to walk towards the back office room that was across the room.

Kayla quickly crossed the room and stepped in from of the Security Chief. "Mr. Maldon it's good to see you again." She said smiling at him.

"It is good to see you as well Miss Fitzgerald. You have grown so much since your last birthday." He said smiling at her.

"Thank you. How are your children?"

"Ilona is loving school. Even though it is her first year. Scott is finishing up his college. I hope he will go into something other than his father like he wants to." He had two children. Scott was 21 years old and away in another city for college. Ilona was only six and lived at home with him. Kayla got along with both children very well. She didn't want them to lose their father.

"That's great. I hope we will be able to attend his college graduation together." She said looking at him hopefully.

His face fell as she said this. He obviously took what she meant behind that. His eyes lifted up a bit with hope for he would see that as well. "Yes, we should make plans for that." He finished smiling sadly. "If you'll excuse me." He bowed his head then went with the senator into the other room. As they left Kayla turned back to her father.

"You cannot let him go and sacrifice himself and all his men." Kayla said, glaring at her father. She wasn't angry at him. She was angry at the reality of the situation.

"Do you think I want to?" He questioned her, raising an eyebrow.

"You know Scott and Ilona. They already lost their mother do you want them to lose their father too?"

"I do not intend to lose my close friend. But his idea is the closest thing we have to saving the city." He said.

"It's not the only way dad. Give it time. We will find the way, I promise." She pleaded, taking a step forward. Standing right in front of her father.

He tightened his lips together and considered what she said. He turned to look away from her for a moment. Kayla hoped she was getting through to him. "Then… what would you propose?" He asked after a minute.

Kayla almost breathed a sigh of relief. She may not be winning him over but she was breaking through. "Protect the people. Don't save the city. Save its people. Everyone, including the security forces. Don't let people die for nothing." She said in a soft voice.

His eyes returned to his daughter. A small smile came to his lips. "You are wise my daughter. But you are still naïve. People will always die, sometimes for nothing. You can't always stop that." Before she could feel crushed at his words he pulled her into a tight embrace. "You are right. If only partly. I won't let men go to their deaths for nothing. But I can't stand by and do nothing." He kissed the top of her head once more then pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I know you have a plan and I have my own. If you know how to win, then do it. Please be careful, with your plan. I know you are up to something and I trust you to succeed."

"Thank you daddy." She gave him a tight hug again. "You know since I am descended from Zelda, that's mean you have her blood too." She said with a smile.

He laughed and hugged her back. "I never thought of that. But thank you."

She told him goodbye and then rushed out the door. Her father was trusting her with her plan. And she had to get it done.

* * *

 _No guarantees._

Kody sent the message then set his phone to the side. He reached for the whetstone that was next to his phone on the floor next to him. He took his sword in his left hand and began to run the edge across the whetstone. Slowly and carefully he began to sharpen his weapon.

Over the past week Kody had learned a great deal. His uncle taught him all about fighting and tactics. Along with other things. Being unpredictable and emotionally calm were the best strategies one could have. Nothing about fighting techniques and formations could save you if you were emotionally not fit for battle. Speed and endurance were also the driving factors for winning a battle. Not strength and power. That would help little to beat a large amount of opponents. Fatigue could kill you worse than making a mistake.

Across Kody's body were white bandages wrapping up his many wounds. His right arm was covered with the white bandages but no blood soaked through. His upper chest had a large bandage across it with a thin red line that had soaked through. As he slid the blade across the whetstone his left hand ached in pain. The white bandage on his left hand had bright red soaking through the palm.

He finished his act of sharpening and set the stone aside. He held up the blade to inspect it closely. It looked perfectly sharp.

"Preparing are we?" Kody looked up to see Uncle Ben descending down the stairs.

"Well it was either this or more of your workout schedule." Along with training he also had to go through vigorous workouts. His body felt weak but he knew that he was getting more fit.

"Fair enough. How are your wounds?" He asked as he stepped across from Kody.

"Fine." Kody said flexing his left hand. Still feeling the opened wound under the bandages. "So how much longer?"

"For what?" Ben sat down and looked eye to eye with his nephew.

"Until I am done." Kody clarified.

"With your training? Tell me, have you beaten me yet?" Ben asked.

Kody stared at him for a long minute. "No." He finally said grudgingly.

"Then you are not ready." Ben took his sword and laid it across his legs. "I am merely just a foot soldier. If you can't beat me then you can't beat Ganondorf or any of his top soldiers."

"Well I did beat him once." Kody mumbled.

"Yes, I know. How did you do that by the way?" Ben asked as he propped his elbow up and leaned his chin on it.

"Well I fought him with my sword and shield. He was stronger than me. Very strong. So I tried to limit the amount of times he hit me. My shoulder was already wounded and later I couldn't even raise my shield. I uh… I had to take some hits in order to hit him. I got in close. I struck him… many times. But he kept coming. I got hit several times as well. That armor was useless by the way." Kody recalled the events of a year prior.

"Armor? You mean the green mail you keep in your bag?" Ben asked.

"Yeah. It was supposed to be my armor from the past. It was pretty useless."

"Well it's over three thousand years old so…"

"Wait I thought we were gone for only two thousand years."

"You were. The armor you found was an ancient relic from the Hero of Time. One of the first battles between you and Ganondorf. It wasn't supposed to be used again. But I'm guessing you didn't know that."

"Oh so it's my fault." Kody rolled his eyes. "Fine then where is my real armor?" He asked.

"There were several variants. All of them very strong and very lightweight. The most recent one was lost in the Final Battle for the Triforce. But your family line kept most of them. Some were taken to Zelda's museums and temples. She liked to collect your artifacts. Anyway, we have one such armor of yours that I will give you."

"Okay good." Kody said with a smile. The two continued to sit there and stare at each other. None of them moving. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Can I have it?"

"No."

"Why not?" Kody asked, getting irritated.

"Why would you want another armor?" Ben reached out and took Kody's leather bag and opened it up, taking out the damaged green armor. "You have a perfectly good set right here." He said holding it up.

"You just said it was an ancient broken set that is no good!"

"I didn't say it was no good. Its ancient yes, broken yes, but no good? No. We can fix it." He said standing up.

"How so?" Kody stood up as well. He followed his uncle as he walked over to the corner of the basement training center. There was a large wooden door there. It had been locked the whole time and Kody had been curious what was behind there, but he had never asked.

Ben pulled out a set of keys and set one into the lock and then turned the key. There was a click and then the old door creaked open. Dust flew up as the door swung open to reveal a darkened room. Ben put his keys in his pocket then took out two stones and pointed to a lantern. "Grab that." He instructed.

Kody grabbed the lantern and held it forward. Ben opened the glass door and then struck the stones together several times until the sparks lit the wick. The lantern began to burn and Kody held it up to look at the dark room.

The walls were lined with wooden racks that held weapons. Swords that were dated and dulled along with several shields, covered with dust. Towards the back were several bows hanging up and below them were tables that had arrows lined up. In the middle was a large iron anvil with several hammers and a large tub, meant for water. In the far back was a large furnace, clearly meant for forging weapons and armor.

"Let's fire this old thing up, then get back to training." Ben said as he set down the armor and then went to work on supplying the furnace. "It will take several hours to reach full heat." He turned back to his nephew.

"See if you can beat me in that time."

* * *

"So what's the plan?" Mary asked.

"I thought you had a plan." Kayla said.

"So no plan?" Kari asked.

The girls were standing outside of the Museum of Archives, plotting on their next move. Which was no plan evidently. Kari wore all black along with a black bandana on her head, keeping her red hair pulled back. Looking a bit suspicious. Mary had gloves on, for whatever reason. Kayla had her purple hat on and her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Well I have an idea." Kayla said looking at the people entering and exiting. "It will be closing in an hour."

"And…?" Despite her attitude, Kari was having fun. It was an enjoyable adventure without the threat of death. The first thus far.

"If we could hide after it closes we have a chance of being around when no one can see us." She explained.

"Except for the cameras." Kari noted.

"I have that covered." Kayla said. She had been holding her phone in her hand and now held it up to her ear. "Richard, do you have all that?" She asked.

"I got it Kayla. Now I can't shut off the alarms so if you do anything I can't stop it. But the cameras I can handle." He said over the phone.

"If people question why we're here for several hours it's gonna seem suspicious." Micah said over the phone.

The two were located behind the building on a bus stop bench in order to hack into the security mainframe. Some techno stuff only Richard understood. Micah was with him for security reasons. Despite the fact that he wished to go with the girls. But Kayla insisted the girls could take care of it. And in the likely instance that they are caught it would go easier if only three girls were caught.

"Just try not to look like you're doing something." Kayla said. Then she looked at Kari. "Unlike someone is doing."

"What?" Kari asked.

"Alright let's go." Kayla said as she led the girls inside the museum.

They pretended to look around for a while until they got to one of the back rooms in which held the map. They slowly made their way over to the map, trying not to look like they were casing the place.

"There it is." Mary whispered. A glass case box covered the map which lay inside on a stone pedestal. The map was only unfurled halfway, showing the Hylian language and an outline of an area outside of modern Hyrule.

"The glass case is certainly triggered with alarms." Kari noted as she looked all around it.

"So the question is, to break the glass or find a way around it?" Kayla asked as she looked at the stone pedestal.

"Well the glass is the easy way." Mary noted. She looked past it to see a guard near the doorway to the room.

"I'm not sure we could get through the stone." Kari said. The stone looked impenetrable.

"Maybe we don't have to." Kayla indicated the connecting point of the glass and the stone. There were two little magnetic alarms connected to the glass that would probably go off if the glass was moved. "If we can keep the magnet from sensing removal then we can simply lift the case off." Kayla whispered. She looked to see the guard was now looking at the three. She nudged Kari and gently pushed Mary so that they would move along.

"But how do we do that?" Mary asked as they stepped over to another book hidden behind glass. Pretending to look at it.

"There are magnets in the gift shop. We can buy those before it closes." Kari said.

Kayla nodded. Absently reading the book below. It was in Hylian but she could read it easily. It simply detailed the history of the building of the castle. Nothing too interesting to her. "Exactly. With that no alarms would go off. If we don't break the glass." She turned to see the guard talking into his radio. "Or alert the guards." She thought for a moment. "I'll be right back." She said then turned and walked over to a corner where there wasn't anyone around to listen to her.

Pulling out her phone from her pocket, Kayla dialed Richard's number and held it up to her ear. "Richard." She said.

"Hey I see you." He said.

"What?" She said looking around the room. She didn't see him in the room.

"No, above you." She looked up and saw a camera trained on her. "Hello." He said.

Kayla smiled then shook her head, turning around. "Can you find out how many guards are on duty after closing?"

"Give me a second." He said. She heard him typing away on his laptop and waited patiently. "Alright here it is. Only two guards are on duty tonight. They patrol the entire floor. When it closes if you give me a few minutes I can tell you their movements and give you an estimated time window." He said.

"That would be perfect. Alright, I'll call you back after closing." She hung up the phone and put it back into her pocket. She went to go back to her friends when she something caught her eyes. She turned back to look up at a large painting on the wall near the camera. The painting was large and long. Seemed to be fairly old due to the fading of the paint. The background was a sunset on a clear day, reddening the sky. The middle of it was a large white castle. Centered in a large village around the castle. Kayla recognized it as an accurate depiction of her ancient seat. The seat of her throne. Well, Zelda's throne.

She stood mesmerized for a moment. That's what Hyrule once was. But it was now lost forever. She shook her head and moved back over to her friends.

One day years ago that's where she would have lived. But it was no more. And she didn't expect to ever get it back.

* * *

"If you truly want to win." Uncle Ben said as he swung his blade. Kody rolled away and then back up a few paces. "Then stop trying to win and start trying to understand." He said advancing forward.

"How does that make sense?" Kody blocked another strike with both hands on the hilt. In the past several hours he hadn't won. He was starting to get angry. He was losing to his emotions. He pushed the swing back and swung as well. Ben ducked under it then turned his back.

"Understand your opponent." Kody advanced and swung. Ben ducked again and turned to face him once more. "And his movements. Learn. You have time and ability, use them to decipher your opponent and beat them."

Kody didn't advance but released one hand from his sword. Uncle Ben didn't allow him to use his shield during their fights. Since he believed using a shield didn't require training. He was doing what Ben taught him not to do. Giving into his emotions. Kody exhaled and then loosened his grip.

"You haven't been trying to teach me combat." Kody realized. "You've been teaching me how to fight."

Ben smiled. His student finally seemed to understand. "At last you know."

"How to fight someone who is better, or stronger, or smarter, that's what you've taught me."

Uncle Ben held up his sword and fixed his stance. So that he was firmly prepared to fight for real. "Now your final lesson. Beat someone who is more experienced than you."

Kody slid into a more defensible stance. Remembering that his uncle was based more on defense. If he forced him to be more on the offense then he could have a chance to exploit a fault. Ben was waiting for him to attack but Kody remained where he was. Ben tilted his head and gave a little smirk before advancing little by little.

Sure enough he struck first. Kody blocked but kept himself on the defensive for now. He was feeling him out. Learning the moves, searching for weaknesses. For the next several minutes Kody kept his footing and continued to block all attacks. Every step Ben took, Kody took as well. Back, forward, right, left. They were both at a standstill. The only difference was that Kody refused to attack for the moment.

Then he saw his opportunity. Ben came forward with a strike towards his middle. His right foot came forward, overextending his stance. Kody switched the hilt to his left hand and took a step forward. A bad move if he couldn't block his uncle's strike. But he did. Swinging the blade in front of his body and hitting the blade away from in between their bodies. Now he had his blade in front of both of them while his uncle was open to an attack.

Kody reached out with his right hand and grabbed onto the right hand of his uncle. The hand that held his sword. Pushing forward the blade he brought it to Uncle Ben's chest. Resting on his shirt.

They both stood there. Ben's blade away from them both and pointing to the ground. Kody's hand keeping it away from his body. Kody had his blade on a death stroke, aimed at his uncle's chest.

"How did you beat me?" From the tone of his voice Ben wasn't surprised. He was merely asking Kody what strategy he used in order to beat him.

"I saw it." Kody said. His eyes were trained on his blade. Thinking back to what he did. "Your attacks were getting less controlled. You faltered. But you still had reach on me. So I had to eliminate your advantage in order to take control. And then attack when you lost your defense."

"So you understand." Uncle Ben took a step back and Kody released him. He watched as his uncle knelt before him and stabbed the sword into the ground between the two of them. "Link, Hero of Time, I am honored to have helped you along your path. I pledge myself to your service. To aid you in the battles to come. Swearing so to the Goddesses of the Triforce." He said bowing his head.

"Um…" Kody looked all around the room. Quite confused at what was going on. And most importantly not knowing what to say.

"It's a formality kid. Just say you accept my service, and to honor the kingdom. Swear it to the Goddesses." Ben said looking back up at Kody.

"Oh, I accept your service. And I pledge to serve and honor the kingdom as well. I swear this to the Goddesses." Kody said.

"Very good!" Ben stood up and slapped him on the back. "You're going to have to say a lot of those oaths in the future so get used to it."

"Great." He mumbled with a frown.

"Now, let's see about fixing your armor."

* * *

"Alright code delta, let's go." Kari said.

"What?" Mary asked.

"It's the word for mission go." Kari said.

"Just say mission go." Kayla said rolling her eyes.

"Fine, killjoys. Mission go." Kari muttered.

The girls were in the medieval section of Hylian history. Kayla and Kari were crammed into a floor panel on a medieval aged boat in the room. Near that was a large chest that was closed, where Mary was laying down. Kayla and Kari were too close together and couldn't get out.

"Move your foot!"

"Move your hand!"

"Move your head!"

"Move your hair!"

"Move your boobs!"

"…you're just jealous."

"I am not I am… you know what, whatever."

Then the floor board opened up revealing the two pressed against each other and unable to really move. Mary looked down at the two with a frown. Seeing Kayla with her arms folded and glaring at Kari out of the corner of her eye. Kari was smirking as she tried to move her hand from underneath her.

"You two are loud." Mary said blankly. She set the floor board aside and reached down to help Kayla up.

"I am not jealous." Kayla said as she fixed her hat and hair.

Kari stood up next to her still smirking. "You know you are." She said again as she fixed her black shirt.

"Just shut up and let's go." Kayla said rolling her eyes.

The girls walked down the hall and towards the room that held the map. Kayla texted Richard to turn the cameras off. He texted back saying that they were already. She was about to ask him about the guards but then a flashlight alerted her. "Stop!" She pressed her back against the wall and the other two girls did as well.

A guard with a flashlight walked around the corner. They were at the corner of three joining hallways. The guard came from the hallway behind them then came at the crossroads. Kayla made a silent prayer that he would go the other way. The guard stood for a moment looking down both hallways he could go down. He ended up turning to the hallway that the girls weren't hiding at.

Once the footsteps faded Kayla looked down the hallway to see his flashlight faded. "Okay let's go." She whispered. The girls moved quickly along the darkened hallway towards the room with the map. Richard sent her a text saying they had a four and a half minute window.

They came to the room and stopped outside the doorway. Kayla leaned to look inside. Making sure it was clear.

"We should do things like this more often. It's fun." Kari said smiling.

Kayla again rolled her eyes. "Why are we friends again?" Kayla asked.

"Cause you love me." Kari said.

The three then rushed into the room and made their way to the map. Kari then reached into her pocket and pulled out a flashlight. She turned it on and looked into the glass case that held the map. "Alright here goes the great heist of an ancient map." Kari said as the other two came next to her. She turned to look between the two of them. "Guess I do miss Kody and his stupid movie references." She mumbled.

Kari handed the light to Mary who kept the ray of light trained on the case. Kayla pulled two magnets from her pocket and gave one two Kari. They stood on either side of the case looking at each other. "We have to do it at the same time." Kayla said.

"Right on three." Kari said.

"Now is that after three or on three?" Mary asked.

"Oh shut up." Kari said rolling her eyes. "1, 2, 3." They both used one hand to lift the case carefully up inch by inch. As the magnet lock came to being exposed they held up the magnet and covered it. Kayla said another small prayer and then gave a nod to Kari. They lifted the glass case with two hands and held it up. They waited for several seconds. When nothing happened they all smiled.

"We did it!" Mary yelled.

"Shh!" Kari and Kayla said. Mary covered her mouth quickly and then nodded. The two older girls set the glass case down on the ground behind the map.

Kayla and Kari took a step forward to stare at the old map. "I hope this is really what we needed." Kari said.

"It has to be." Kayla reached out and rolled up the map, which rolled into a scroll. She then took it and Mary took off her backpack setting it on the ground. Mary unzipped it and Kayla took out a plastic wrapper and wrapped the scroll in it. Placing it inside Mary's backpack. Mary slung it on her back and Kari took back the flashlight.

"Now how do we get out?" Kari asked.

Kayla fired off a text to Richard and put her phone away again. "In two minutes the north door will be unlocked. We'll meet Micah and Richard there."

"Cool. Which way is north?" Kari asked.

Kayla shook her head then pointed to her right. "It's a service exit. We have to make it without being seen."

"Let's go." Mary said pushing past the two. Kari and Kayla looked at each other. Surprised that Mary took the lead. But then they followed along. Kari turned off the flashlight and stuck it in her back pocket.

The girls made their way through the dark hallways and towards the service exit. They ran up to the final corner wall and stood up against the wall. Kayla peered around the corner to see if the route was clear.

Looking out Kayla saw nothing but the little light hanging above the metal door that led to their escape. Seeing that they could escape she quickly motioned for the other two to follow. They walked out towards the door but stopped.

Inside the museum, in there with them, they all heard a noise. Two distinct pops and finally a loud thud. The girls all froze with fear. They had an idea of what that noise was. It had to be a silenced gun shot. Someone else was inside the museum. And someone had shot a guard.

"Run!" Kari said as loud as she could in a hushed tone. The girls sprinted their way towards the door. Kayla got there first and pushed on the handle of the door.

Only to find it locked.

"Well, open it!" Kari said.

"It's locked." Kayla said turning around and looking at the other two with worried eyes. "We can't unlock it, it's an electric lock! If Richard can't do it we're stuck!" Kayla reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, dialing Richard's number.

It rang for a long time but with no answer. Kayla cursed under her breath, hoping that he was alright so that she could kill him later.

Another sound alerted her and she put down her phone. She looked behind her at hearing the sound of more silenced gunshots and another thud. Sure the gunshots were silenced but in the dead silence of an empty building you can hear anything. "We've gotta move!" Kayla said in a hushed tone, yet loud as she would dare.

She pushed the two ahead. Whatever happened to the boys would have to wait. If Richard couldn't unlock the electronic lock then they had to find another way out. It was impassable through normal means. Kayla ran through scenarios in her head while they moved through the darkened hallways.

They turned left and went down the next hallway. "Where are we going?" Kari whispered. She was in the back, both of them shielding Mary between their bodies.

"Back to the front. We have to break open the glass doors to trigger the alarm and get out." Kayla explained. They started to pick up pace as they turned another corner and went into the first room of the museum. Kayla came skidding to a halt as she saw two cloaked men guarding the front entrance.

As Kayla stopped Mary bumped into her and then Kari hit both of them. Knocking Kayla to the ground and making a lot of noise. She looked up to see the two men turn to the sound of the noise. They saw the three girls and seemed to be quite shocked at first. Mary and Kari started to back up slowly as Kayla tried to get up. The two men then began to reach for their weapons.

Mary and Kari didn't waste any time and ran back to hide behind the doorway. Kayla stumbled to her feet and ran for the doorway. She made it and hid behind the wall as two shots flew by her and into the wall past her. She looked to see Mary and Kari crouched down by the wall. Kayla grabbed Mary by the strap of her backpack and pulled her up. She led the girls down the hallway as she heard the two men coming for them. The hallway went from the opening entrance down to the gift shop. Kayla knew they could get out through the gift shop as well so that was her next choice for escape.

They got to the door leading to the gift shop and Kayla pushed it open, actually throwing Mary inside and letting Kari run in. Since her eyes had adjusted to the darkness she saw the two men running after them down the hallway. She turned and went inside, shutting the door behind her.

Kayla stared at the door and backed away until Mary scared her, by grabbing onto her arm and shaking her. "Who are they?" She asked. The worried look in her eyes was not lost on the older girl. Mary wasn't scared, she had lived through this before. She was worried they wouldn't make it out. And Kayla was too.

"They have to be Ganondorf's men." Kayla said then grabbed Mary's hand. She ran with the small girl as they crossed the room and got to the side exit behind the counter inside the gift shop. Kari was already there trying on the door.

"It's locked too!" She said, jiggling the handle repeatedly.

"This one isn't electronic. We can open it by picking the lock." Kayla said but then looked back at the door that led from the hallway to the gift shop. They would come in any second and spot them right away.

Then she got an idea. Kayla looked and saw a box of baseballs on the other side of the room. She ran over and grabbed one of the baseballs, turning to get a good look at the glass door that connected the gift shop to the opening room. Kayla threw the ball as hard as she could, watching it hit and go through the glass door.

The glass fell like an ocean wave, hitting the ground in a broken mess. An alarm sounded in the distance and a light near the ceiling started flashing red. The alarm had been sounded, security would be coming now.

Kayla rushed back to the other two and made them duck under the cashier's counter. She reached into Kari's hair and pulled out a bobby pin. Kayla then reached into Kari's pocket and pulled out a metal nail file.

How she knew her friend had that, remains a mystery.

Kayla then slid on the ground and back to the door. Putting the file and bobby pin into the lock and started fidgeting with it. A moment later the door to the gift shop swung open and two pairs of hurried footsteps moved past them. They all froze with anticipation of what the two men would do.

"They broke the window to try and escape!" One man said, seeing the broken glass door.

"Then they have to be the ones who stole the map! We have to get them before they get through the entrance." The other said. The two then turned and went back through the door.

Kayla exhaled. Her plan worked. Well so far. She turned back to look at the door she was trying to unlock. Kari turned to see what she was doing and then rolled her eyes. "Here let me." Kari said and took the items from Kayla. It only took the taller girl 40 seconds to unlock the door using the items. "It gets easy with experience." She said simply.

"Um… okay. Let's go!" Kayla brushed it off and pushed open the back door. Since the alarm was already going off there were no alerts to the fact that they had opened the door to escape.

The girls snuck out the door and jumped out onto the sidewalk near the side of the museum. "Let's just get back to the house." Kayla said and they began to sprint down the street.

"How, we don't have a car and it's over two miles away?" Kari complained. The girls ran down the sidewalk for a few more minutes until sirens alerted them. Not trying to seem suspicious, they stopped running and walked casually. The Museum of Archives well behind them but still in the distance. Several cop cars sped past them in line for the building.

"At least we're out of there. Now I have to make a phone call." Kayla said. A few more police vehicles were down the road coming their way so they kept their normal bystander walk.

Kayla reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She looked to see she had 14 missed calls and 5 voicemails. All from Richard's phone number. She groaned and then called him back. It only rang once before he answered.

"What happened to you guys? Are you okay?!" He asked franticly.

"What happened to you guys?" Kayla shot back.

"We had to move, a van was watching us. When I unlocked the door the alarm went off and I saw on the cameras four men running throughout the building, holding guns." He explained.

"Yeah, we got away from them. We are outside, walking east. We're far from the building now." Kayla said.

"Okay, we'll meet you at your house." Richard said. She heard him talk to Micah and then the two started to pack up and walk down the road. "Did you get the map at least?"

Kayla smiled as her eyes went to Mary's backpack. "Yes, we have it."

* * *

"The map could not be recovered?" Ganondorf asked his lieutenant.

"No sir, before our men could steal the map, it was stolen." He said.

Ganondorf reached up to stroke his chin. "Someone, stole the map. Before we could steal it." Ganondorf repeated.

"Yes sir."

"Impressive." Ganondorf was impressed that his enemies managed to do something unpredictable. But still it was a major hindrance to his plans. "But unpleasant." He stood from his throne and everyone in the room went silent. They all stopped what they were doing to look at their King. "I want full force to be mobilized. Anyone who is not crafting or building will be moving out within the hour." He said in a commanding voice. Red eyes looking over each one of his men. "I want the city. I want it now. I want all to bend the knee." He reached down at his throne and pulled his sword from the ground. He swung it through the air and held it out. "And I want the Hero to fall before my sword! The Princess to weep as she sees what her inability to serve wrought! I want an end." He turned back around and all of his soldiers cheered his name.

"King of Thieves! King of Thieves!" They all chanted. It didn't take long for his officers to get his men into rank and file. They armed themselves, put on armor, and moved out of the buildings. Getting into vehicles or marching in a group. Ganondorf grabbed the chain that was attached to his throne, walking out the doors with his men.

He made his way to the front of the group and walked up to three men circled around a horse. The horse had red eyes as well, along with bright yellow and black armor. Ganondorf got up on his horse and pulled the chain, his pet wolf walking up and standing next to him. The wolf was only slightly shorter than the horse.

Ganondorf turned to look at all of his forces. Two rows of vehicles went down the road for as far as he could see in the night sky. Their lights trailing in the distance. The men formed massive lines as well. Numbers that no one man could count at the moment. The sheer numbers of his force was sufficient to take the city. His generals were up close by his side, getting their men prepped and ready. Each had their own objective, a section of the city that needed to be taken.

"Captain." One of the officers responded to Ganondorf's command and stepped forward.

"Yes my lord?" He asked.

"I want you to take a team, move in on this address." He said giving the captain a piece of paper. "Kill anyone there but the women. Take them alive. Report what you find when you arrive."

"It will be done my lord." The Captain bowed and then moved to gather his team to due Ganondorf's command.

The Evil King looked out at his forces and smirked with delight. "Tonight I take Hyrule."

* * *

"Next time you want to do an adventure, let's just have Richard hotwire a car." Kari complained. The girls' feet were hurting as they walked all the way through the night to Kayla's house.

"Richard can hotwire a car?" Kayla asked. She was no wearing Mary's backpack so the young girl didn't need to carry the heavy weight any longer.

"Yeah we drove it to get away for the night. Where were you? Oh that's right." Kari laughed to herself remembering that Kayla had been captured the whole time they were on that adventure.

"Oh ha ha." Kayla stuck out her tongue at the other girl. "It's not my fault I was captured the whole time."

"Well it wasn't our fault you missed some details. Like the fact that we didn't have to walk over two miles." Kari went back to complaining. But what else is new?

"We're almost there stop complaining." Mary said. She was getting tired of Kari's complaining.

"Even the kid is telling me to shut up, this is embarrassing." Kari said with a smile. It was all in playful fun.

"So now that we have the map what do we do now?" Mary asked.

"We get it to Kody, then we could go find the Master Sword. And whatever else is on the map." Kayla said. Her hope in the situation returned. Step 1 find the map. Step 2 follow the map.

"So when do we give him the map?" Mary asked. They walked up the hill on the sidewalk that lead to Kayla's house.

"I don't know. Tomorrow morning I guess. My dad thinks that Ganondorf will attack soon. He has more numbers this time." Kayla said with a frown.

"How does he have so many followers?" Kari asked, surprised.

"Men are easily corrupted. They follow the path to power and are swayed by it. He's always had the power to sway masses to his cause. It's rather sad." Kayla said.

"Maybe people need something else to believe in rather than power." Mary offered. She then looked directly at Kayla. Kari looked down at the girl then followed her eyes. Realization spreading over her features.

"What do you mean?" Kayla asked.

"People need a leader Kayla." Mary said, still looking at her.

"What are you- oh." Kayla looked away as she realized as well. "I'm not the leader Mary. I'm just a girl. Besides the time of old Hyrule is dead anyway."

"Then why are you trying so hard to protect it?"

"I'm trying to save the people."

"Which is exactly what a leader would say."

"But that's not the point." Kayla shook her head and sighed. "After hundreds of years in a Republic would people really want to go back to a monarchy? Who would want to put some girl, who claims to come from an ancient royal line, into power over a nation? Just because I am supposed to be heir to the throne doesn't mean it's mine." She said logically.

"But you are the Princess." Kari said.

"There is no throne anymore. So I am a Princess of nowhere." Kayla said.

"Maybe one day there will be a throne again." Mary mused.

"Until then we just have to save the people."

The girls reached the house and Kayla unlocked the door with her key. She opened the door to see the lights were on. Walking inside she went into the living room to see that her father was there once more along with Security Chief Maldon.

"Kayla, you're back!" Her father said with a bright smile. Chief Maldon smiled as well. "And you're friends are here as well. Did you have a good day?" He asked as he went over and gave his daughter a hug.

"Yes, we did. We're going to go in the kitchen and have some food." She said, guiding the girls into the kitchen.

"Alright tell me if you need anything." He said.

The girls went into the kitchen and Kayla set the backpack on the counter. Kari and Mary jumped up onto the stools sitting in front of it as Kayla grabbed some waters for each of them.

"Alright let's take a look at the map." Mary said, opening the backpack. She pulled out the map, wrapped in a plastic bag, and set it in front of them. Kayla stood between the two as the map was laid out. She helped take the fragile document out from the bag. Mary released her grip and allowed for Kayla to unroll the map herself.

She rolled out the two sides of the scroll and let it display out for them to see.

The map showed several distinct landmarks. In the middle of the map was a large inked castle, that stood for Castle Town and the castle. Below it was a small village as was to the right of the castle. Many Hylian markings indicated the names of the towns all around the castle.

"This must be the original land of the nation of Hyrule." Mary said looking at it.

"Well this is way bigger than the nation now." Kari said. "If this is Hylia." She said pointing at the center. "Then this must Onyta." She said pointing to a village south. "That is the southern border, but this shows more land to the south and even more villages. And that the land reaches past the lake!"

"The original borders of Hyrule." Kayla said amazed. "This entire eastern part doesn't exist though." She said pointing to the land east of Castle Town. "It's all forest now. No one lives there." She indicated.

"Maybe this is the part of Hyrule that disappeared when the Triforce did." Mary said.

"It would make sense. And look." Kayla pointed to the top right of the map. "The very edge of this is called the Lost Woods. And… there it is!" She pointed to a very small drawn out sword hiding in the corner of the Lost Woods. "The Master Sword!" She cheered happily.

"How do you know that's it?" Kari asked.

"It says the Master Sword right here." Mary said pointing to the Hylian words that read: _Master Sword._

"I can't read Hylian." Kari blanked.

"Well maybe you should learn." Mary said with a little smirk.

"Don't push me short stuff." Kari said with a glare.

"Here hang on I will call Kody." Kayla said as she walked away from the two. Pulling out her phone and dialing Kody's number. The phone rang several times until Kody finally picked up.

"Kayla?" It was nice to hear his voice again.

"Kody! We've got the map! We know where the Master Sword is!" She said, not bothering to hide her excitement.

"Really? That's great! Listen I'm almost done. I'll be able to meet you at your place in a few hours." Kody said.

"You're all done? Finally! Okay text me when you leave. We're gonna have to go as soon as possible because my father thinks that-" Kayla was cut off.

From outside the house, probably far away, there was an explosion. The girls all gasped and Kayla turned to look at the window in the kitchen. She quickly went over to the window and pushed back the curtains to look outside.

In the distance she could see a large fire. Smoke billowed out from a large building where the explosion must have been coming from. Her eyes widened and she stepped back. Hearing the faint patter of gunfire coming from within the city. "No." She whispered. They were too late. Ganondorf had struck.

"Kayla what's wrong? What's going on?" Kody asked through the phone.

"It's Ganondorf, he's attacking the city." Kayla said, knowing it was all over.

* * *

Fin.

A/N: Alright entering the second act and the momentum builds. I wanted this to be a very long chapter because it needed to present a lot of things. I hope I accomplished in setting up many things for the chapters to come. So, Ganondorf attacks, the girls steal the map, Kody finishes his training, and all hell breaks loose. What could go wrong?

So what do you think will happen next? I'll tell you, it will not be what you expect. Spoiler alert, as we move forward, things will become darker. That's all I'll say. Sorry in advance.

As always please leave a review with what you think!


	5. Escape From Hyrule

A/N: Chapter 5 and the race against the clock! If you don't know what I mean by that then you didn't read chapter 4. The race to save one another and escape Ganondorf's wrath. There I spelled it out for you. So now we will see what each character can do in the face of the coming onslaught. I'm not sure what they can do to win, but let's read and find out.

Escape From Hyrule

"We have to leave!" Kody yelled at his uncle. They were both still in the armory in the basement. Ben was finishing off Kody's armor while Kody was on the phone with Kayla. He still had her on the line but had his phone by his side.

"What's going on kid?" Uncle Ben asked. He held up the green mail armor to the light. The broken pieces were now fixed, forged in the fire and the special metal that he refused to tell his nephew what it was.

"Ganondorf is attacking the city!" Kody said running up to him and grabbing onto his shoulder. "We need to get out there and rescue Kayla and the others."

Ben frowned. He didn't respond immediately and instead turned to the many weapons inside the room. He reached out and grabbed a set of chainmail armor and put it on. Grabbing a shield as well. "Get your things." He said.

"Right." Kody grabbed his armor and threw it back into his leather bag. He took out the boomerang and put it in his waistband on his right side. He slung the pack on his shoulder as his uncle came out holding a bow and two sets of arrows. "Here," he said handing him one set of arrows.

Kody took it and put it on his back. "Where's my bow?" He asked, not seeing his uncle having a spare.

"This way." Uncle Ben then went for the stairs. Kody grabbed his sword and shield, following his uncle. They went out of the basement and back into the house. He led Kody into another room towards the back, probably Ben's room.

Inside the room Ben went over to a large painting hanging over the bed. The painting was of a country side with a small village in the background and horses galloping in front of it. Ben stood on the bed and threw down the painting from the wall. Hiding behind it was a wooden bow. Unlike other bows this one was made of light brown wood, with markings etched into it. Along the handle was a golden charm in the shape of the Triforce. The string was bleached white, showing no signs of degrading or falling apart. It looked to be the perfect bow.

Taking it into his hands carefully, Ben came down and turned to Kody. Holding out the bow to the young Hero. "This is yours. Kept safe for thousands of years." He said.

Kody looked at the bow with awe. It seemed to be the greatest bow ever forged. And it was his. "This is mine?" He asked, amazed. Kody took the bow into his hands and inspected it closely. "No matter how many of my old stuff I get I will always be amazed with how they all look." He placed the bow on his shoulder then looked to his uncle.

"Always remember kid." His uncle said putting his hands on Kody's shoulders. "That no matter what happens, you've got to keep moving forward. If you fall get back up. If you feel the fear of failing returning then fear giving up. You are the one that can't fall. If everything comes down around you, stay up. Stay strong."

Seeing the seriousness in his eyes and the strength in his words Kody tightened his face and gave a single nod. "I will not fail." He said, his voice teeming with confidence.

"Good, let's get going then." The two ran outside the building and towards the road.

"How long until we reach the city?" Kody asked. Once they got to the road Ben started jogging.

"Probably an hour, if we run. A little after that until we reach the Princess." Uncle Ben said.

"Run? Like full speed?" Kody asked as he started jogging as well.

"You've been training for it. You can run that long and still be in top form."

"Alright let's do it."

The two began to run down the road and to the city that was now being torn apart by war.

* * *

"Daddy!" Mary yelled over the phone. Kody had said they were on their way and then hung up. So Kayla gave her phone to Mary to call her father. The girls were moved to her father's office with the others.

"The city is under attack!" She said over the phone. Kari was sitting next to Mary. Wrapping her arm around the younger girl, trying to keep her calm. Kayla was standing next to her father who was on the phone as well.

"Yes! Everyone on full alert. All forces to mobilize and meet the enemies." Her father said.

Security Chief Harold Maldon was standing near the one window in the room, looking out. Holding his sidearm in his hand. Kayla looked from him back to Mary.

"Yes, we're safe. We're at Kayla's house. Her father's here." She reassured her father.

"I want a security team to my residence at once! I have Chief Maldon here and we need to get to the security station!" Kayla's father said over the phone.

Everything was in chaos. The security forces were caught off guard and the city was quickly being overwhelmed. The public service announcement told people to stay indoors and to not let anyone in. But she knew that it may have been too late for some.

Gunfire could be heard less than a mile away. Ganondorf's forces were pushing into the city. Killing and destroying all in their wake. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. It hurt, knowing she could do nothing to help these people. Her people.

Kayla walked over to Chief Maldon. "Are they close?" She asked him in a hushed tone.

He shook his head. "No, the gunshots are far and the explosions are farther." He said. "We will be safe for now."

Kayla nodded and looked out the window. Rubbing her arm as she tried to swallow the pain down. "Where are your children?" She asked.

He turned to look at her this time. "Scott is still out of town. Ilona is with her aunt and uncle. They live in the country, so I asked them to leave to another city for the time being."

"That's good, I would hate for Ilona to experience any of this." With that Kayla turned to see Mary. Mary had hung up the phone and was now hugging onto Kari, who held the poor girl.

"You seem to be alright." He said.

"It's not the first time I have experienced something like this." She said with a sad smile.

"The attack a year ago?" He asked her.

"Yes, I was at the building. Guess no use in covering it up now." She sighed and turned to lean her back against the wall. "My friends went into the building and fought G- Raoh's men. We were all there when the building caught fire." She explained.

"What were you doing there?" He asked her.

"I was kidnapped by his men. They took me to the tower. This was back when the police were still corrupted. So my friends had no help but they fought their way through to get me back." She smiled a bit more genuinely now.

"So you know this man?"

"Yes, a little." She turned to look at him. "He's not going to retreat or surrender. That's not the type of… man he is." She hesitated in calling him a man. Was Ganondorf even a man? For now he had the shape of a man. But maybe that would change in the coming battles.

"We will not retreat or surrender either." Chief Maldon assured her. "We will fight him until he is beaten."

Kayla dipped her head down. "I wish that was possible."

Before he could ask her what she meant her father hung up on the phone. "That was your deputy chief." He said to Maldon. "They are mobilizing all forces. The streets are virtually inaccessible through the southern part of the city but they are sending a team here." He said.

Kayla quickly went over to her father. "Dad, I need to get out of the city." She said to him.

"I realize you're scared dear, but you'll be safe with me." Her father began opening drawers, searching for something.

"No father, it's to save the city." She explained. "I have to get to Kody and we need to get out of here before it's too late." She pleaded.

"Sweetheart." He finally found the drawer he was looking for and pulled out a black pistol. Cocking it back and then setting it on his desk in front of him. "This isn't one of your adventures, this is war."

"Don't treat me like I'm some scared little girl!" She shouted. Stunning everyone in the room. "I am not scared of getting killed or captured. I am afraid of losing this city and everyone in it. There is only one way to win and I know that way." She went over to Mary and pulled the map out of her backpack, slamming it on the desk. "This is the key."

Her father's eyes went from her to the map. He cleared his throat and picked up the map. Looking it over. "What is this?" He asked.

"A map. A map leading to the one thing that can stop this man from destroying the country." She shook her head and pressed her palms on her father's desk. Leaning towards him. "This is the only way to stop him and kill him. He is immortal otherwise." Kayla explained.

Her father looked at her and then the map once more. Finally he set it back on the table. "Your fantasy theories helped me understand the situation thus far. But I will not take children fairytales so seriously." He leaned forward, getting close to her as well. Not taking her challenge to well. "I am not letting you go into the forest on some pointless adventure just so you can find your prophecy wanting." He said in a low tone.

"I am not a child anymore." Kayla said, glaring back at him. "You've taught me to fight for what I believe in. And I am fighting now for the people of Hyrule. To save them all. And you can't stop me."

"Yes I will."

Everyone in the room was watching the heated debate closely. They were all intrigued with who would give first. Kayla was not normally one to fight back, especially against her father, but this was something she believed in. And she never backed down from something she believed in.

Before they could continue the heated argument a new sound disrupted the room. Several gunshots came into the room from the window. The shots flew by Kayla and her father. She could hear the whiz of bullets by her head. Her father grunted and fell backwards while Chief Maldon turned towards the window with his gun raised.

Kayla reacted quickly. She reached out and grabbed her father's gun on the table. Mary and Kari screamed, falling to the ground. Kayla, however, turned around and pointed the gun to the window. Maldon was quicker and fired off three rounds before Kayla shot one. She fired the gun three times while Chief Maldon emptied his entire clip. The room then was quiet.

Looking around the room Kayla saw no other bullet holes around the room. Just around where her and her father was. Kari was on the ground, covering Mary with her body. Maldon went over to the shattered window and looked out it. Kayla still had her weapon raised, breathing heavily as the adrenaline kept going through her body.

Behind her, her father struggled to get up. As he did Kayla turned around to look at him. Her eyes widened and her heart tightened at seeing that her father had been hit by a bullet. He was clutching his left arm and blood came down from the wound. "Father." She said going around the desk to help him. She set the gun back on the desk and grabbed onto him.

"I'm alright." He said, trying to assure her. "Maldon!" He called out to his friend.

"Two gunmen, both dead." He said looking out the window. He backed away from it slowly. "I think we should move, it's not safe here. They knew which house to hit." He explained as he switched out the clips in his weapon.

"Alright, we'll take my car." Her father said.

Kayla saw the map and grabbed it. Rolling it up and putting it in her back pocket. "I'll go first." Maldon said. He moved to open up the door from the office to the front of the house.

As he went to open the door several gunshots echoed. Bullets going through the wooden door. Chief Maldon shouted out as he was hit and moved away from the door, shooting several times as he did so. He fell to the ground away from the door. Kayla pushed her father back against the wall, out of the range of the gunshots.

A moment later the gunfire stopped and the door was forced open. Four men ran inside the room with automatic weapons. The each pointed the gun at someone different. One man took the gun from Maldon and another took the gun from the desk in front of Kayla.

Another man stepped into the room. He was not holding any weapons but had a pistol on his waist. He walked forward and observed the room and everyone in it.

"No one else in the house sir." One man, who had a gun pointed at Kari who was still covering Mary's body.

"Good." He turned to look at Kayla and her father. "Senator Fitzgerald, you have been a thorn in Lord Ganondorf's side for a long time. I'm sure he will be happy to see you."

Kayla glared at the man and clutched onto her father tighter. "And the little Princess." He said looking at her. "Ganondorf wants you the most. That and your hero." He turned around and took out his pistol. Loading it and then walking over to Maldon who was on the ground clutching the wound on his chest. "You will present the Hero or I will kill everyone in this room one by one." He turned to look at Kayla once more but leveled the gun to Maldon's head.

"So, where is the Hero?"

"Right behind you!"

Kayla turned to look at the entrance just in time to see Kody arrive with his uncle. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as he came to the rescue. Kody ran into the room and threw his blue boomerang, hitting the two guards that were guarding her and her father. Uncle Ben came in and fired and arrow into another guard's chest. The last guard turned his gun on the two but Ben managed to pull out another arrow and fired it into his chest as well, dropping him to the ground.

While this happened, the leader ran over and grabbed Kayla. She yelped as he did so and then felt the muzzle of a gun pressed to her head. He placed her in front of him. Hiding behind her from Kody and his uncle.

"I'll kill her Hero!" The man yelled. Pushing the gun more against Kayla's head. "You can't stop us! We will get you!"

Kayla felt fear for the first time. Until she looked into the determined lies of her Hero. Kody was unfazed as he took out his bow and knocked an arrow. He pulled back the string and leveled it at the man's head near hers.

She didn't feel afraid anymore.

* * *

It was perfect timing really. Kody was thankful for his training now. He ran for over an hour and still felt fully ready to go. Enough to barge into the room, take down two guards with his boomerang and then set up to shot an arrow into the man threatening Kayla.

He leveled the arrow and aimed it at the head of the man. Kody pulled the arrow as far back as he could. Steadying it carefully. He knew he wouldn't miss. He was so sure in his ability. He wouldn't miss. He couldn't.

But then he hesitated. His hands started to shake little by little. What if he missed? What if he hit Kayla? What if he didn't? He was still taking a man's life. Kody had never killed someone. 'No! Come on!' Kody thought. 'This man is evil, kill him!' Kody started to shake even more. 'He's threatening to kill Kayla! You have to take the shot!'

An arrow whizzed through the air and hit the man in the eye. He gasped and then slowly crumbled to the floor. Kayla's eyes widened as she followed the arrow from its point of origin.

Kody looked from the man lying dead on the ground to his own arrow. Which was still on his bow. He then looked behind him to his uncle who was standing there with an angry look on his face. Kody lowered the bow and released the tension on the arrow, taking it into his left hand.

Ben rushed forward and grabbed Kody by his collar. "You hesitate! After everything we've been through!" He yelled at his nephew.

"I could have hit her." Kody tried to lie for his reason of not taking the shot.

"Don't give me that boy. You hesitated because you did not want to kill!" Kody looked away. He was right. Kody did not want to kill. "Well you're gonna have to learn. Cause its war. And no one will show you the same curtesy." He pushed Kody away and stormed off. Kody watched him go with forlorn look.

"Kody!" He didn't have time to dwell on his mistake as Kayla jumped into his arms. Hugging him tightly. "I knew you would make it!" She said happily.

"I always do." He said hugging her back. Well, he made it in time for once. After not seeing her for a week he held on to her for a lot longer than he should have. Then he remembered the situation they were all in. "Kayla," he said releasing her. "We have to go."

"Right." She said looking over at Mary and Kari who got up. Ben helped Maldon to his feet and Kayla's father came over to the pair.

"I owe you another one son." He said to Kody.

Kody put the bow on his back. "We're not out of it yet. So keep a tally count and I'll collect later." Kody said.

The group quickly ran out of the house and to the front yard. As they got there two cars pulled up to the property. Kody and Ben both stood in front of the group with their weapons ready.

"Hold on." Maldon said holding up a hand and moving forward. "Those are my men." He said. The cars stopped and several security forces came out and secured the area. "Let's go sir." He said, grabbing onto Kayla's father and pushing him towards the vehicles.

"Wait!" He said making Maldon stop. He turned to look at his daughter. "Kayla, everyone, let's go!" He called to them.

"Father." Kayla said quietly. She walked over to him and stood in front of him. "This is where we part ways for now. You have to do what you have to do. And I have to do with what I have to do." Kody could see the sadness in her eyes. Even though she was doing what she believed in it still hurt her to leave her father.

He stared at her for a long time. Everyone thought he was going to demand her to get in the car and go with her. Instead he reached out with his good arm and pulled her in for a hug. "Be safe my princess." He told her. Kissing the top of her head one last time. He released her and then looked over at Kody. "Protect my daughter." He told the young boy.

"With my life sir." Kody assured him.

"Should we send a security team with them?" The Security Chief asked Kayla's father.

"Didn't you hear my old friend?" He said with a smile. Looking directly at Kody. "He will protect her." And with that he got into the back of a car and shut the door. The other men all joined him, getting into the two vehicles. A moment later the cars drove off, leaving the rest of them standing there in the dark.

Kody slowly walked over to Kayla. He looked at her face as her father drove away. Her eyes were filled with tears but they did not fall. She looked strong in her demeanor, but Kody knew she was still a scared girl trying to let go of her father. He couldn't be there to protect her all the time. And, unlike the last incident, she chose to go on without him.

"Kayla." Kody said quietly, trying to get her attention. She turned her water filled eyes to him.

"He finally understood." She said. Giving him a sad smile. "It took him a while but he finally believes in me."

Kody took a step forward and grabbed onto her arm gently. "Everyone believes in you." He said genuinely. "I have always believed in you."

"Thanks Kody." She then frowned and looked past the small group. Kody turned to look to see two figures running towards them. He could see through the dark that it was Richard and Micah.

"Kody, is that you!?" Richard called out.

"Hey guys!" Kody called out with a smile, waving at them. The two ran over to him.

"Sorry we took so long. We were questioned by police then we got cut off by Security forces when the attack started." Micah said, looking at the others. "Hey who's the old guy?" He asked. Pointing with his thumb to Kody's Uncle Ben.

"Old guy? I prefer seasoned." Ben said.

Kody ignored him and spoke for his uncle. "That's my Uncle, he's going to help us." Kody explained.

"Alright, then what's the plan this time?" Richard asked.

"Since we don't have to rescue the Princess this time." Kari said smirking at Kayla. "Well, not yet."

"Thanks Kari." Kayla said dryly.

"We need to get out of the city." Kody said. He looked over at Kayla. "Right Kayla?"

"Yes, I have the map. I know where we need to go." She said taking out the map and holding it up. "We have to head east out of the city."

"But there is nothing east of the city." Micah said.

"There is a river, but beyond that I'm not sure what else." Kody said.

"The forest." Ben said. "The forest that has claimed many people. Because none that ventured in ever returned. It was blocked off as too dangerous by the government hundreds of years back. But that is where ancient Hyrule is, as the legend goes."

"With the map we should be able to get through the forest." Kayla explained.

"My father said he'll meet us in the city." Mary said. "Near the hospital."

"That's less than a mile from here." Kari said.

"Then we'll make our way there." Kody said. He looked over the group. Everyone was back together. And they were all going to get out of this to save the city. They had to. Since they were together it helped the plan and eased any doubt in all of their minds of failing.

"And we'll get out together."

* * *

"My Lord." Ganondorf pulled his steed to a stop. He turned to look at his subordinate who had come up to get his attention.

"What is it General?" He asked. Around the two men were his armies. Laying waste to the city and killing many. The Security Forces had come out to meet them but so far they proved no match. The bulk of the forces were still mobilizing.

"We heard from the team you sent to Senator Fitzgerald's residence." He said, bowing his head before his master.

"What news?" Ganondorf asked.

"Most of the team was killed. The survivors reported back that they were stopped by the Hero. The Princess and the rest escaped."

"What?" Ganondorf's eyes became enraged. "Where are they heading!?" He demanded.

"Reports say that the Senator has fled back to the capital along with his men."

"Damn it!" Ganondorf turned back to look at his army. If he pushed them hard enough he could reach the capital before dawn.

"But the girl and boy did not go with them." His general said quickly.

"What? Then where are they!?"

"We have unconfirmed reports that they were heading east. Towards the weakened side of the city."

"The east?" He thought for a moment. If they did have the map then they would know which direction to go. And since there was nothing east of the city save for the forest, then that meant that was the direction of the Master Sword. It had to be. "Of course." He chuckled to himself. "They are heading towards the sword. No doubt they are attempting to leave the city."

"What would you like sir?" His general asked.

"I will lead a division of the men. We will move east to meet the Hero before he has a chance to leave the city." Ganondorf said. He then reached down and grabbed onto the hilt of his evil blade. He unsheathed it and held it up to the sky. Which had turned black from the flames that erupted around the city.

"You are not escaping this time Hero."

* * *

"We have to keep moving!" Kody yelled. They were going into the city which meant that people were pushing past them trying to escape. Kody held onto Kayla's hand and pulled her with him as they tried to make it to their destination.

"We're right behind you, just keep going!" Micah yelled. He was behind the three, pulling Kari and Richard along. Ben was out in front of them all. Scoping out the area and making sure they weren't going to be in danger.

Another explosion rocked the city. Kody stumbled in his steps and looked to his left to see the fire rising. It was only a few hundred feet from where they were at. He was guessing the enemy couldn't be that far behind.

"We're almost there!" Ben called out to the group. A few bystanders pushed violently passed them and knocked Mary down.

"Mary!" Kody yelled out. He turned back and went for her. Still pulling Kayla along with him. He ran back over to her and pulled her up from the ground. "Mary are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" She said, rubbing her sore palms.

Gunfire then echoed in the street close to them. Kody turned to see small flares of orange in the night. They were running out of time. If any of Ganondorf's forces got on top of them then there would be no escape.

"We have to run!" Kody said. He turned back to where he was supposed to be going. He began to get more aggressive, pushing all out of his way as he moved down the street and towards the hospital.

"I can see it!" Kayla said. Pointing towards the large building that was dark. The power was off in the building. Probably not wanting to alert the enemy that it was a defenseless hospital filled with patients.

They picked up pace a little. Seeing that less people were now running past them it made it slightly easier. But they were still swimming against the current.

"Do you see your father?" Kody asked the young girl. Kody had pushed her in front of him so that he wouldn't lose her again.

"No I don't!" She shouted. The noise in the street was loud and frightening. Screams and gunshots echoed in between the buildings. Explosions were still going off but most were far off. Centering closer towards the middle of the city instead of where they were at.

"Wait there he is!" Mary pointed towards the lone street lamp that was still on. It was slightly past the hospital but they all saw him now. He was riding on the top of the horse, Epona. He was riding fast but must have heard or seen them because he slowed to a halt. He looked over in their direction.

"Mary!" He called out.

"Daddy!" She yelled. They made their way towards him. The people had cleared the area mostly now and resistance was low. Some stragglers still remained but there was still no sign of Ganondorf's men. Kody took that as a good sign.

They ran over and stopped in front of Talon and his horse. "They have blocked off all roads coming into the city." He said, reaching down and pulling Mary up. He placed her in front of him on the saddle of the young horse. "I only made it in because of Epona." He said.

"We're gonna need to find a path out of the city through the east!" Kody told the older man.

"Ganondorf's forces have yet to make it this way." Ben said. He was standing off to the side. Looking up and down the buildings in case there were any soldiers taking up a vantage point.

"So then our path should be clear?" Micah asked.

"It looks that way." Talon said with a nod. He adjusted the reigns in his one hand and a pistol in his other. "Come on, I'll lead the way out." He turned Epona towards the east and set to lead them out of the city.

"Look out!" Ben shouted.

A flash of light shot through the sky and at the group. Kody grabbed Kayla and pushed her to the ground while Epona quickly reeled back. Micah, Richard, and Kari all fell backwards. The flash of light was a rocket soaring at them. It went just barely over Kody's head and hit the building near them. The explosion deafened the young boy and it knocked him away from his spot. He rolled a few feet before coming to a stop. His hat flew off from the explosion and landed somewhere he didn't know.

All he heard was ringing inside his ears. Kody stuck his head up and shook his head. He blinked several times trying to get focused on what had just happened. He looked to see Micah already on his feet and pulling Richard up. Kari was on the ground, clutching her knee in pain. Kody looked behind him to see Talon trying to get Epona to relax and Mary was screaming. Or so it looked. Kody couldn't hear yet.

"Kayla." Kody was sure he said her name, despite not being able to hear his own voice. Feeling sharp pain in his shoulder, Kody looked to see his shirt ripped and a bleeding wound there instead. He pulled himself up to his knees, looking all around him. "Kayla!" He said again. He looked over to his left and saw her form lying on the ground, facing away from him. His ears started to pick up on sounds again and he heard screaming along with gunfire, fairly close. He stumbled across the street and reached Kayla.

"Kayla!" He shouted and turned her over. Once he saw her face Kayla began coughing. Specs and debris of the building covered her body. She had a small cut on her forehead but she opened her blue eyes to look at him. He didn't say a word and just pulled her to him. Clutching onto her tightly.

"I'm fine." She said, weakly. Her golden locket fell down to the side of her and Kody could see it along with his name on it. "I'm fine." She said again but quieter. Now that his hearing returned Kody could hear the gunfire that was dangerously close to them. He clutched her closer to his body.

A hand on his shoulder alerted him. He turned to see his uncle staring back at him. "We've got to go! Ganondorf is here!"

Kody's blood ran cold. 'No, no! This is too soon, he can't be here yet!' If Ganondorf had cut them off then there was almost no way of getting out of the city without a fight.

"What?" Ben pointed behind him and Kody turned to look.

Sure enough there he was. Riding atop a black steed, dressed in dark armor, was Ganondorf. He was holding a large black blade and his eyes were trained on Kody's. Hungry for vengeance.

Kody clenched his teeth and stumbled to his feet. Kayla still clenched onto his shirt and looked that way as well. She gasped at seeing their enemy returned. His armies were standing a foot behind him, waiting for his orders.

Ben turned to look back at his nephew. "It's not time, we have to leave." He said to his nephew.

Kody pushed away his arm and reached for his blade. "No don't!" Kayla said. Kody pushed her back away from him and reached to his back, taking his shield onto his left arm.

"I have to. He's going to run us down regardless." Kody said and started marching forward, despite the resistance of his friends. "Get out of here!" He called to them. Ganondorf took the bait and descended from his horse. He began to walk forward, holding out his blade. His long dark cape, flapping behind him.

"I will hold him off." Kody marched forward as he said so. Holding out his sword as he walked to face his opponent.

"I would say I'm surprised you are coming to face me." Ganondorf said as they came closer. Kody could see the scar above his eye. The one he had put there over a year ago in their first battle. "But you are filled with too much pride to just turn away from a battle." He said with a smirk.

"It's not pride." Kody said. They came within ten feet of each other now. "It's honor."

"Whatever it is, it will lead to your death." They came within striking distance and Ganondorf didn't waste time.

The larger man swung his large blade at the young Hero. Kody rolled to the side, going underneath the swing. He got to his feet and swung at the evil man. Ganondorf held up his large blade and blocked the strike.

"Do you think you can win this time?" Ganondorf asked the boy as they struggled with the blade lock. "I will say you got lucky last time boy but this time will be different!" Ganondorf pushed the locked blades back and held up his sword.

Kody held up his shield as the swing came down at him. Sparks flew as the blade connected with the shield. Kody lowered the shield and swung up again. Ganondorf tilted his head, avoiding the blow, before swinging again.

This time Kody had to bring up his sword to block. As the black blade came down it hit the steel blade. Ganondorf's new sword hit and then Kody's sword chipped. Kody's eyes widened as the black blade cut through his like a knife through butter. It went clean through his blade and one piece came clanging to the ground as Ganondorf's blade hit into the street.

Kody took a step back seeing that his sword was reduced to a short one foot long stump. He looked up at Ganondorf who lifted up his sword. "Now you see the difference in power once and for all!" He swung his blade up into the air and Kody quickly put his shield up.

An arrow flew through the sky and hit Ganondorf in the shoulder. He growled and staggered backwards from the shot. Kody looked behind him to see that the group hadn't fled yet. And his uncle was standing in the front, holding his bow out and quickly nocking another arrow.

"Fall back kid!" He yelled at his nephew. Kody didn't need to be told twice. He quickly ran back to the group. Everyone quickly pushed back and as he did and ran into the nearby building that had a huge hole in it from the rocket explosion earlier. He followed them quickly, hearing the gunfire that was directed at him. He placed his shield on his back so that any gunshots would hit it instead of his back.

He ran into the building and was followed quickly by his uncle. They pushed up against the walls of the building as gunfire hit all around them.

"We are pinned down!" Talon yelled as he jumped off Epona. The horse barely fit through but was safe from all the danger as well. He took Mary from the horse and set her down next to him.

"There goes our only escape." Micah said. He was on the ground, holding Kari in his arms. He had apparently picked her up since her leg looked pretty messed up.

"I thought I told you guys to get out of here!" Kody said looking at them all.

"We couldn't leave you behind Kody." Kayla said. From the angry look in her eyes he could tell that he had pissed her off with his actions. Well no time to mend that right now.

"We all can't escape the city." Ben said as he glanced out towards the east. Which was in the opposite direction of the enemy forces. But still cut off from the heavy fire going on. The older man turned to look at Kody and Kayla. "But you two can."

"What?" Kody asked.

Ben took out the sword he had, which he had promised to give to Kody, and offered it to Kody. "You two need to get out of here and get to the forest. Find the sword and return to take out Ganondorf." He said.

"But how-"

"Take Epona!" Mary said frantically. Kody turned to look at his younger sister. "She will get you out of here!" She said.

"Mary…"

"But why just us?" Kayla asked. "We all need to leave or we'll be killed!"

"No, we can escape and hide in the city." Talon said. "I have some smoke grenades among other things. They will cover up our escape." He assured them. "And you two can get out in time as well."

"But I can't leave all of you." Kody said.

"We can't leave all of you." Kayla corrected.

"You have to." They both turned to look in surprise at Kari. "We will only slow you down. And you know us, we will survive." She gave them a small smile for reassurance. "You know us, we can get out of this no problem. Have a little faith in your friends."

Kody turned to look back at his uncle who still held out the blade. Kody narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Alright, but you guys need to be alive when we get back."

"We will." Richard said and then nodded to his friend. "Good luck."

Kody took the blade from his uncle and put it into his sheath. He tossed the useless blade away and then turned to Kayla. "We have to do this." He told her.

Kayla bit her lip and looked around the room. She understood they had to go, but she didn't want to bear leaving them all behind. "Alright, let's go." She said softly.

Kody put his hand on her shoulder. "They will be alright. We have to make sure we make it back though." He told her.

"We will." She said and looked to the others. "I promise we'll be back."

Kody and Kayla got up onto Epona and Kody took the reins. Kody set his shield and bow onto the saddle in front of him so that Kayla could clutch onto him. And so she could press against his back instead of falling off. "I hope I have the knowledge from my past on how to ride a horse." He joked.

"You do." Uncle Ben said. Then he reached behind his back and pulled something from his pocket. "You almost forgot this." He handed Kody his hat that he lost in the explosion.

Kody chuckled lightly and took his hat. "That would have been tragic." He took the hat and put it on his messy looking hair. He turned the cap backwards and then pulled on the reins. "Ready when you are." He said looking at Talon.

Talon gave him a nod and then pulled out two grenades from his pack. He went over to the doorway and threw them out in the direction of the enemy forces. Kody waited as the grenades exploded and smoke came out from them. Once the smoke looked to cover the street Kody pulled on the reins. "Good luck everyone!" He called out then kicked Epona with the back of his heels. The horse took the sign and then pulled off.

Epona began slowly but once she came out from the building she began to gallop quickly. Kayla tightened her grip on Kody and pressed herself firmly against his back. Pushing fast down the street, away from all of their enemies.

* * *

Ganondorf frowned as smoke blocked his men's vision from the building the enemies were hiding in. His men stopped their firing and took the opportunity to move up towards the building.

"I want them alive." He said in a low tone. Blood trickled down his left hand from the arrow he had taken earlier. The arrow was removed but the pain still remained.

Ganondorf took a step forward and narrowed his eyes. He knew the Hero and his group would be trying something.

Not soon after he heard the sound of horses hooves galloping down the street. From beyond the smoke he could make the shape of a horse with two riders on it. "Hero." Ganondorf mumbled.

"Bow!" He commanded and extend his right arm. One of his men rushed forward, holding out a large metal bow. Ganondorf took it with his right and then readied his stance. The same man offered a steel arrow and he took it.

Taking the arrow, Ganondorf pulled it back on the string. The tension went to maximum as Ganondorf pointed it at the fleeing form of the Hero. He grunted then pointed it up into the sky. He released the arrow and then turned around. Throwing the bow at one of his men who caught it.

"Find the companions of the Hero and bring them before me." He said as he returned to his horse. As he got up on his horse he pulled on the chain that was tied to his saddle. On command his wolf beast marched forward and looked up at his master.

"Kill the Hero, and bring me the Princess." Ganondorf commanded. The wolf snarled as he understood what his master said. "Go!" Ganondorf released the chain and the wolf ran at top speeds, going after the Hero.

* * *

"Hang on Kayla!" Kody said as they galloped down the street. The farther they got the less destruction there was. "I'm not sure if she'll go faster." He said, referring to Epona's speed.

"I am!" She assured him. He could feel her arms wrapped around his middle and her body pressed against his back. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall off as they escaped the city.

They were nearing the edge of the city when he heard something. The faint sound of whistling in the breeze. Kody's eyes widened as he knew that the sound was of an arrow.

He felt it before he heard it. It went through his lower right side, piercing through him and going out of his body. Hitting the ground in front of them and then got ran over by Epona as she kept going. His red blood flew out and stained Epona's hide. Several drops splattering across her. Kayla pressed her head against the back of his neck and sucked in her breath. Kody couldn't believe it. The arrow flew through the air and went straight through him.

The air hit his wound and it stung. His clothes were sure to turn red along with it. And the wound would surely slow down their progress eventually. He leaned forward on Epona and brought his left hand to clutch the wound in his side.

This was not a good start to their journey.

* * *

Fin.

A/N: And so the Age of the King continues and our heroes are in a perilous situation. Bet you didn't expect that to happen right? You thought they were all going to get out safe and sound and Ganondorf would stay and try to take over the city until Kody returned wielding the Master Sword to come and kill him and everyone lived happily ever after. Right? Wrong! This is the Legend of Zelda, not some happy story where everything is plain and simple. Nothing is ever simple, especially in the Legend of Zelda. Anyway Kody and Kayla escape, the others are left to live in the doom of Hylia in the Age of the King. As Ganondorf takes the city what will our heroes do? Well, wait to find out.

As always please leave me a review telling what you think!


	6. Currents of War

A/N: Alright next chapter and like the last one this one takes place immediately after the events of the last chapter. So if you don't know why Kody and Kayla are escaping the city or why the others are fleeing for their lives, well, read the last chapter. Also, this is the first time the point of view will go to someone other than Link, Zelda, or Ganondorf. Yes, we will be dividing the story in two. One following the two heroes and the other story being the one of the others stuck in the city. This will be fun, and quite interesting. Let's see who it is…

Alright, enough. Back to the story!

Currents of War

Running while you were exhausted was hard. Running while carrying another person was harder. Running while carrying another person and having an injured leg was the hardest.

Fortunately, Kari didn't have to experience that.

After the explosion she got up to find extreme pain in her leg. Her black pants were ripped and she could see the blood coming down her leg. Now it was almost soaked near her ankle. She couldn't walk very well at the moment.

When Micah came over to her she didn't ask him to pick her up and carry her. But he did it anyway. He just picked her up and ran into the building. He held her while they convinced Kody and Kayla to leave. And then he held her while they all moved to the hospital next door.

Kody's Uncle Ben blocked the door behind them and they ran to the back of the hospital. The building seemed to be mostly abandoned. There were a few people still inside but they were quickly leaving or hiding. Kari didn't know how long until Ganondorf's forces would invade the building and find them.

"You can put me down now." Kari said, looking up at Micah.

"Oh, of course." He said. Turning away so she couldn't see the faint pink on his cheeks. 'Cute,' she mused.

He gently set her down on her feet and Kari instantly lifted her right foot up. It still hurt to put pressure on it. She put her hand on Micah's shoulder to help support herself. "Does it still hurt?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes. "No I just like touching you." She said sarcastically.

Micah turned away from her. "Sorry." He mumbled.

And now she felt bad. Damn him and his nice guy attitude. "Look I wasn't… just… thanks." She said. Giving up on trying to explain herself.

"Your welcome." He said.

"What do we do now?" Richard asked.

Truth was they were outnumbered and surrounded. It was only a matter of time until the enemies found them and tried to kill them. And only two of them had weapons.

"We have to get out of here and this area." Talon said. He checked his gun and the ammo in it before walking over towards the stairwell.

"Oh no, we are not doing the stairs thing again!" Kari protested. "Last time the entire building almost collapsed when we were near the top! Not to mention being shot at on the actual stairwell." She said, remembering the events from last year.

"Did I miss something with stairs?" Kody's Uncle Ben asked.

"It wasn't as bad as they make it out to be." Talon said. Then he stuck out his right hand. "Good to see you again Ben." He said.

"Good to see you too! I am grateful for the help you have given to Kody for the past few years." He said with a big grin.

"Well he mostly did it himself." Talon said with a shrug.

"Can I interrupt this reunion and say that we are still stuck here." Kari said.

"Right. We can exit through the back. Hopefully there will be a light patrol." Talon said.

"If there is anyone out there let me take them out, it will be quiet." Ben indicated as he held up his bow that had an arrow already on it.

"Agreed, let's get going." The group followed the two older men towards the back of the hospital. Kari still clutched onto Micah as he helped her hobble along. They moved through the hall and made it to the back exit.

Ben held up his finger for them to be quiet. He slowly pushed open the back door and poked his head outside. It seemed to be clear as he slowly crept outside with his weapon raised. He moved to the left as Talon followed and moved to the right. The others went out with them and stayed between the two.

Suddenly Talon whipped around. "Ben." He called out. Ben turned around with his weapon raised. He fired a single arrow that hit the man that Talon had saw. "Let's go." Talon whispered.

The group moved along in the night along the back alleyway. The met no resistance as they went north, back into the city. "Wait!" Richard called out and they all stopped. "Why are we going into the city?" He asked.

"What would you rather do? Run?" Ben asked him.

"We have to help people in the city." Mary said. She looked up at the taller boy. "We can't just turn our backs on them while we can do something to help." She told all of them.

"Well…" Richard started. "I have nothing to argue with that." He said looking at everyone.

"Alright let's get going." Talon said. He pushed forward while the rest followed. Kari and Micah were in the back due to her hobbling. "We have to make it somewhere to get weapons and supplies." He said.

"My house." Micah said immediately. "My father keeps supplies in the basement."

"Alright, how do we get there?" Talon asked. They came to the edge of a stone building and he looked down the road to the right to see if it was clear.

"It's about half a mile. On the western side of the city."

"So we have to go through the middle of where Ganondorf is making his assault?" Kari asked him.

"Yeah…" He nodded.

"We can do it." Ben said as he stepped out into the road, ahead of the group. Stick to the buildings and keep out of sight. It won't be too difficult. And we'll go around if we have to." He explained to them.

The group then changed their direction and headed towards the middle of the city. They kept close to the buildings, sometimes passing through them. Ben only had to take out two more enemies as they reached closer to the main road. The fighting got more intense and the threat got more real the closer they got.

Ganondorf had moved his forces straight through the middle off the city. Simply pushing through the middle until they cut a line down the middle. So far it was working. The only safe places in the city were on the outskirts. The middle of it was a warzone. Fires were lighting up the night sky from this middle path that Ganondorf and his men cut through the city.

As they went along the road they saw bodies of men and women who had fallen in these first few hours. Mary would grab onto her father for protection from the horrors of war all around her. Kari even averted her eyes after seeing the body of a woman who was clutching a small child.

War was hell.

They got right before the main road and Ben stopped. He motioned for all of them to run into the building they were next to. The building was a former liquor store with the windows all busted out and the door laying on the ground. The group ran inside and ducked down around the aisles. Micah and Kari sat down near the edge of the middle aisle, with Mary behind them.

Kari looked out to see that a company of Ganondorf's men were marching down the road, checking all buildings on their way. "A search party, making sure they keep their hold." Talon whispered from his spot in the aisle next to them.

Kari then looked above her at a large liquor bottle sitting on the shelf. She licked her lips then grabbed the bottle. "What are you doing?" Micah whispered.

"We might die here so screw it." She said takin off the lid of the bottle. She brought it up to her lips and took a big gulp. Instantly regretting it. She took the bottle away from her mouth and coughed. She covered her mouth and calmed herself. "How can people drink this stuff?" She asked, holding the bottle in front of her.

Micah then actually rolled his eyes and took the bottle from her. He brought it up to his lips and took two sips, handing it back to her. She stared at him, amazed that he didn't gag from the taste. "Have you had this before?" She asked him.

He looked at her for a moment then turned away. "I don't want to talk about it." He said.

"Quiet!" Ben said. The search part came near their building. Flashlights peering around them and their hiding spots. They all held their breath as several men scanned the outside of the store they were in.

Kari got so nervous she brought the bottle back up to her lips and took another drink. This time she didn't gag at the taste. Nerves basically killed the sense of feeling on her taste buds and throat.

The flashlights soon faded from the store and the footsteps went down the street. Kari breathed a sigh of relief. Then Mary reached out for the bottle of liquor in her hands. "I don't think so, you're still too young." Kari said keeping it from her.

"We're all gonna die." Mary tried to convince her.

"Nice try." Kari said with a smirk.

"Let's go." Ben said again.

Micah helped Kari up and they followed Richard who followed the two older men. They stepped outside and Kari looked to her left. She saw two men with flashlights, standing over in a corner having a smoke. They all froze and Ben brought up his bow to fire an arrow. They all knew he had to be quick or they were screwed.

He got off the first shot and hit one of the men in the head. The other quickly turned and brought his gun up to shoot. Ben couldn't get his second arrow ready fast enough. But a gunshot rang through the night air.

Talon had his gun raised and fired a single shot into the man's chest, dropping him to the ground. All around them they heard the squad of men shouting out.

"We have to move!" Ben shouted. He turned around and started pushing them along the road. Before they knew it men from all sides came around them and aimed their weapons at them. They got didn't get far as the enemies opened fire on all of them. Micah pushed Kari back through the broken window of the liquor store. Kari turned around to see Richard and Mary run inside. Micah, Talon, and Ben weren't going to make it. But as Micah and Talon rushed in, Ben turned his body and shielded them from the incoming fire. Facing the gunmen as they shot at the group. The bullets whizzed by Kari and the rest of them, almost hitting them all. But Talon and Micah were saved from the shots. Because Ben saved them. Blood flew from his wounds and splattered around them. One came down and hit Kari's cheek.

Ben fell backwards into the store after he saved the other two. Kari already started crawling towards the back of the store. She reached out and grabbed Ben's body, dragging him with her.

All of them crawled along the ground to make it towards the back of the store. Kari felt broken glass pierce her arm as she crawled and it rubbed against her torso but she didn't stop.

She finally got to the back and pulled up to a sitting position, now being shielded by the counter that was in between her and the open windows. She pulled up Ben to look at him. He sat up and gasped for breath. Kari looked down at the five bullet wounds in his body.

"Oh no." Mary said. She made it next to her and looked over the injured man.

"It's fine." He said shaking his head. He coughed out blood and then laughed. "I've had worse."

Kari felt her eyes begin to water at the sight. Sure she didn't know this man very long but he saved all their lives several times in the past two hours. Plus she hadn't seen anyone she knew die in front of her.

"We've gotta get you out of here." Kari said, shaking him by his shirt. "We'll get you back to Micah's house and we'll… and we'll…" She couldn't find the answer.

"It's alright darling." He said with a faint smile. "I've done my duty. I've lived my life." He looked over at Mary. "I've helped your brother and that is enough."

"You've helped all of us." Kari said looking into his eyes. "More than we can repay you." Micah and Richard got to where they were and were speechless at the sight. That or they didn't want to interrupt. Probably the latter.

"Knowing you all will survive is enough for me." Talon came over and slid next to Kari. Looking over Ben.

"Ben, Goddesses. What did you do?" Talon asked.

"Saved your ass." He laughed. Ben then reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes. The gunfire was still continuing but they were out of the reach of the bullets.

"You shouldn't have done that." Talon said.

"If I hadn't then we both would have bullets in us." Ben said. He put one cigarette in his mouth. He looked down at his other pocket. "Dear, would you help me?" He asked.

Kari didn't say anything as she reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. "Thank you." He said. She flipped open the lighter and lit the flame. She held it up to his cigarette for him to light it. After doing so she lowered it down. "I quit smoking when your mother died." He said looking at Mary. "But I always kept it handy." He reached up and grabbed the lighter from Kari's hand. "Glad I did."

The gunfire outside stopped and Kari heard shouts from outside. They were coming into the store. "Go, now." He told them all. "Live to fight another day." He said before looking at Mary. "I'll be seeing your mother real soon. I'll tell her how big and strong you've gotten. She will be very proud."

With tears running down her cheeks Mary went and hugged him. "Goodbye Uncle Ben." Talon grabbed Mary and gave Ben one last look. He nodded and then they went to the back exit.

Kari realized what Ben was going to do. The liquor store was now covered with alcohol. It would go up almost instantly with a slight flame. Richard moved next, following Talon out. Kari still looked at the older man with tears in her eyes.

"Go dear. Your story doesn't end here." He said to her. Micah quickly reached down and picked her up. Kari didn't struggle but she also didn't help him. He practically carried her weight as they hobbled out of the liquor store.

They went out the back and down the alleyway. They got about 60 feet when Kari looked back and saw the building turn into flame. A small explosion followed along with men screaming, in and around the building.

Kari turned away and closed her eyes. Two streams of tears falling down her cheeks.

They had already lost one in this war.

* * *

The feeling of pain didn't dissipate. It only increased as they rode. The up and down motion proved to be a hassle on his wound. He felt Kayla grow more limp in her hold. She must be getting tired. They had been riding for nearly an hour. He guessed they were very close to the river that separated old Hyrule from new Hyrule. They were far from the city now. Out in the country, where orchards and fields were seen for miles. They were far from the thralls of war now. But that didn't mean their struggle was over.

His left hand reached down to clutch onto the wound in his right side once more. He looked at his left hand and saw it was covered with his blood. He grimaced at the sight and then grabbed onto the reins with both hands again. His blood was probably dripping onto the saddle. He would have to get a new one for Talon sometime in the future.

"Kayla." He said looking back at her. "Kayla!" He said again when she didn't respond. He could see her eyes were closed. How could she sleep like this? After he shouted the second time, she blinked and opened her eyes half way.

"Kody?" She asked.

"We're almost to the river. Are you alright?" He asked her.

"I feel cold." She said. Kody had to admit the night air was cool but she was cold? That was odd. He saw beads of sweat on her forehead and her eyes were only halfway open. This alerted him.

Kody turned back to Epona and pulled on the reins. "Whoa!" He told her. Epona slowed until she went to a simple trot. Finally he pulled her off to the side of the road and she stopped. "Good girl." He told her, patting her on the side of her neck.

He reached down and clutched his wound as he climbed off Epona. He hit the ground and stretched the hole in his side, hissing in pain. Kody shook his head and turned back to Kayla who was swaying on the saddle.

"Oh no." He breathed out. When the arrow hit him he was so concerned with the pain and trying to keep Epona going without falling off that he hadn't thought of the trajectory of the arrow. Since it hit him in his side and Kayla was holding onto him so tightly…

The arrow went through Kayla first.

He saw the blood soaking the bottom right side of her shirt. It could have just been his from her being so close but it was on the back of her shirt too. She had been hit by the same arrow as he had.

Kody quickly pulled Kayla down from the saddle. Making sure to be careful in not hurting her even more. She was limp in his arms, falling onto him as he moved her. The blood from her own wound fell onto the ground. He carried her in his arms and set her on the grass near the road. He turned back to Epona and reached into his leather pack that was hanging off the side.

Thanking his uncle for putting spare bandages and supplies in there, Kody took out a roll of white bandages and a special healing salve. He knelt down next to Kayla and looked down at her wound, setting the supplies to the side. He looked back up at her face and saw that she was breathing raggedly and sweat was coming down her head. She was turning a bit pale as well. She was losing an alarming amount of blood and her body couldn't handle that.

Kody stuck his tongue out and bit it as he thought of what to do next. He had to clean her wound but… her shirt…

"Screw it." He reached out and tore the bottom of her bloodied green shirt. He looked closely and saw blood coming out from the hole in her side.

Kody sat back and looked around. "Come on Kody, you know how to clean your own wounds. Now clean hers." He looked at Kayla's face and could tell she was still, barely so, conscious. He got up and ran over to Epona, taking out a canteen that Talon had left on the saddle. He brought it over and twisted off the cap. He reached down with his right hand and placed it behind her head. He picked her head up carefully and put the canteen to her lips. He made sure to only pour a mouthful of water to her lips and she drank it. He waited for her to swallow the water before he laid her head back down.

He then hovered over her side with the water. "This might hurt Kayla." He told her. He then poured just a little over her wound, washing away the blood. As he did that more blood came out from the hole.

Kody closed the canteen and set it aside, grabbing the cylinder of healing salve.

The healing salve was an old family secret. Before he was finished with his training Ben did show him how to make it. It wasn't some magic stuff, like the healing potions. He wished he had some right now. But this stuff did the trick. Using it before, Kody knew it would kill bacteria and prevent infections while also helping in slowing down the blood that came from wounds. Helping to prolong the use of very extensive medical attention until one needed it.

Opening up the cylinder, Kody took his index finger and pulled out a large blob of the goo. It was clear in color and was quite thick. It could be easily smoothed over skin and rubbed in. But it did sting something fierce. Kody gently put his finger onto the wound. Immediately Kayla hissed in pain and rolled her head to the side. Kody reached out with his other hand and held her down by her shoulder. "It's okay." He told her in a soothing voice. "It's helping you." He told her.

He ran his finger along the top of the cut and then to the bottom. Being slow and careful in his movements. He only got the outside of it and didn't go near the actual hole left behind by the arrow. He then went from the bottom of the other side of the wound and to the top. Making sure that small amounts rubbed into the edge of the opening. Not prying the wound any further as he did so. She wiggled the whole time he did this. While his right hand was careful with his movements going along the wound his left hand was fierce in gripping her shoulder.

Once he finished he released her. She opened her eyes this time and looked up at him. "Kody? What are you doing?" She breathed out.

Kody reached out and grabbed the canteen again. He opened it up and reached out to carefully grab the back of her head. He pulled her up and put the canteen to her lips, allowing her to drink. She took a few gulps before he took it away and closed it again. "Why didn't you tell me you got hit?" He asked her, looking into her eyes.

Kayla then looked down at the wound in her side. Bringing her hand up to cover it but Kody stopped her from doing so. "We had to keep going." She said. "We couldn't stop."

"This is more important to that. You've lost a lot of blood." He said. Then Kody looked back at the wound and brought his hand up to cover his mouth. "I um…" He started.

"What?" She asked.

"I need to do the wound on your back to." He said, looking back at her eyes.

"Oh, right." She then turned to lay on her side. Kody guessed the grass couldn't be comfortable but it had to be more comfortable than the road.

Kayla was facing away from Kody as he looked down at her torn shirt. Even though he tore the shirt it was still covering her back wound. Kody reached out and stopped halfway through as he reached for the shirt. "Um, Kayla?" He asked.

"Yes?" She asked, turning her head to the side so she could see him from the corner of her eye.

"I have to tear your shirt a little more." He said.

She immediately faced forward again. "Oh… okay." She said shakily.

Kody nodded and then grabbed the tear he had started. He then pulled down and tore it all the way down her back horizontally. The entire bottom of her shirt was torn off, around six inches coming off from the shirt. Kody then reached out and grabbed the canteen and poured water onto the back wound. Kayla made a noise of pain and turned her head to face the ground. As the watery blood came down her back Kody saw more blood trickle from the wound. Same thing as the front wound.

Again he took the cylinder and got his finger covered with the healing salve. He looked at the back of Kayla's head and then reach his right hand around to in front of her. "I need you to be very still." He said softly to her. She looked up to his hand and then nodded. Taking his hand in both of hers. With that settled Kody moved to clean the wound.

His finger touched the outside of it and she jerked a little. "Sorry." She whispered. Kody returned his finger to moving around the outside of the hole. She squeezed his hand as he gently moved around the wound, making sure to touch the damaged tissue. He rubbed the cut carefully as he came down the cut, around it, and then back up. He was very careful in his touch, allowing for the salve to spread over the entire area. Kayla whimpered and squeezed his hand tighter. Yep, he was going to lose feeling in that hand for a long time.

He finished his job and then went to move his hand from her grip but she didn't let go. Kody tried to pull away again but she even pulled his arm closer to her which made him fall over her. She gasped and turned to look up at him.

Their faces were very close and their noses were only an inch away from touching. Now that he was this close he never noticed how bright and blue her eyes were. They were wide like she was shocked at what happened. As he fell forward on her his left hand came down and pressed against her upper back. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he could feel her bra straps through her shirt. 'Ignore it,' he told himself harshly.

He stared into her eyes and offered a crooked grin. "Can I have my hand back?" He asked her.

"Oh," she said and turned away from him. He saw her cheeks turn red after that. Probably because he was still practically on top of her.

She released his hand and Kody pulled himself back to a sitting position. "Okay, now you have to sit up." He told her. Kayla sat up and by doing so her shirt was pulled up and showed off the amount he had ripped off it in order to get to her wound. Kayla looked down and he did as well seeing that her bellybutton was exposed now. Kayla turned her head and covered her exposed midriff with her arms.

"I'll cover that up." Kody said as he reached for the bandages. Noticing that she was uncomfortable. He took the white bandage and then scooted closer to her. "So, can you hold your arms up?" He asked her.

Kayla nodded and then held her arms up in the air. Kody placed on end of the bandage on her side and began to roll it around her body. Leaning in close to her as he put it around her middle and then her left side and back around her back. As he did so he looked up at her face. She was looking away from him. Often looking up at the sky.

"Are you still mad at me?" Kody asked. She was mad at the fact that he wanted to fight Ganondorf while the others escaped. That plan didn't go well.

"I wasn't mad." She said. But by the way her lips were pressed so thinly he knew she wasn't telling the full truth.

"I did something stupid." He said. With each wrap around her body her fair skin began to disappear behind the white bandage. "And I regret it. I wasn't thinking." Kody admitted.

"Then why did you do it?" Kayla asked him. She now looked at him with questioning eyes.

"I thought it was what was best." He wrapped it around the far side of her again and his cheek rubbed against the side of her arm. He ignored it and came back around her back. "I was trying to block out fear. And in it I blocked out rational thought."

"You? Fear?" Kayla asked. "You're never afraid."

"Well I am. I was." He admitted. He pulled the wrapping around her one more time and then tied it with the other end. Tucking it into the wrapping itself. "Is it tight enough?" He asked.

Kayla looked down at it. "I think so, never had this done before."

Kody smirked. "Consider yourself lucky." She then looked down at him and noticed two similar looking bandages on him. One on his left hand and one all the way up his right arm. She saw the scrape on his shoulder that had torn his shirt. Then her eyes fell to the identical wound he suffered from the arrow that had pierced them both.

"Kody, it's your turn." She said looking at him.

"I'll do it later, we have to move right now." He said, standing up.

"No, you are hurt. You need to fix those wounds!" She told him sternly.

"We have to make it across the river." He told her, pointing down the road of where they needed to go. "Once across we'll make camp and then take care of my wounds."

She then glared at him. Folding her arms over her chest. "Kody…"

"Kayla please trust me. We need to get out of the area. And then the first thing, I promise, I will take care of my wounds." He said honestly.

"Fine." She said shaking her head.

"Good." He reached down and picked up the water and healing salve. Once he looked at Kayla again he frowned.

"What?" She asked, noting his gaze.

Kody dipped his finger into the goo and then ran it over the cut on her forehead from the explosion earlier. "There, you're all done." He said with a smirk.

Kayla shook her head and followed him. "You did that one on purpose."

"I can handle my wounds Kayla." He told her, putting the items back into his pack.

"Are you saying I can't handle mine?" Kayla asked.

He turned his head around to look at her again. "Why are you wearing a hat?" He asked randomly.

Kayla groaned and took off the purple hat from her head. Her hair still remained in its long ponytail. "Don't try and change the subject! And I wanted to wear a hat today." She said, not wishing to tell him about the robbery she committed with his sister.

"Alright fine." Kody pulled himself up on Epona and the horse huffed but remained in its spot, waiting for the other rider. "I didn't say you couldn't handle it. But your body started to become weak. I had to do something or else you would have passed out." He explained simply.

Kayla walked over to him and Epona. Kody extended his hand to her and she took it. He helped pull her up onto the saddle and she threw her left leg over, sitting directly behind him. She wrapped her arms around his middle once again, scooting closer so that she was pressed against his back. "I guess I can accept that." She said, close to his ear.

Once he felt her grasp onto him Kody gently kicked at Epona. She took the signal and started out in a slow trot. "We are almost to the river." Kody said, taking the reins in one hand and moving his left hand to grip onto his own wound. He wouldn't tell her that he was in pain. For now he wanted to get out and reach the forest. Especially since it was pitch black now that they were out of the city.

"Can we cross?" She asked him. He was thankful her grip on him was above his wound. Her top arm was grasping onto his ribcage. Her lower arm was just on top of his bellybutton.

"There is an old bridge at the end of this road. If it's still there we can cross." Kody explained.

"Alright, how much longer?" She asked.

"Any minute now." He said but kept Epona going at a slow pace. Not wanting to push her too much since they still had a long ride after going for nearly an hour.

They spent the next minute in silence. Kody was clutching onto his wound and focused on the road ahead. He needed to clean up his wound soon. That he realized. Behind him, Kayla turned her head and rested her cheek against his back. He didn't mind it, she was just trying to get comfortable. Besides, it felt nice having her hanging onto him like so.

"You said you were afraid." Kayla finally spoke up, but kept resting her head on his back. "Afraid of what?" She asked him.

Kody looked down at his bloodied hand and quickly pressed it back on the wound on his side. "Few things," he said evasively.

"What are they?" She turned her head so that her chin was poking his back. Again he said nothing of this.

"Fear of losing someone I care about." He said before he could stop himself. He adjusted his seating for no reason other than the conversation was uncomfortable for him. He was thankful that he wasn't looking at her right now though. This was hard to admit as is. "Fear of… you getting hurt." He looked back and saw the bandages on her lower body. His fear being realized. "And… fear of failing." He finished.

"You fear over things you can't control Kody." She said. Like he didn't know that was obvious.

"That's why I'm afraid." He said as if it were something simple. "Things I desperately try to change but can't control."

"Kody…" Kayla started out. She leaned away from him and adjusted herself on the saddle. She then leaned closer to him, tightening her grip on him. "You can't fear things you can't control."

"If only it were that simple." Kody said looking forward. He could hear the sound of running water. The darkness impaired his vision but he knew they were close.

"Then trust me, you won't let any of that happen." She leaned her head closer and placed her chin onto his right shoulder. "I'll make sure not to get hurt anymore, and you make sure not to take it hard on yourself."

"No promises." He said as the paved road turned to gravel. "But I will try."

As Epona rode farther into the darkness and then Kody saw it. The ground fell and turned into a river bank where water flowed freely downstream. Kody pulled back on Epona as she came to a stop. He looked at the gravel road that led into the river. His eyes went up and down the river bank searching for the bridge.

"Is that the bridge?" Kayla asked, pointing to the right of them. Kody turned to see an old stone bridge. It seemed to be far older than the current Hylian government. Probably built during the age of old Hyrule.

"Has that always been here?" Kody asked as he looked at the white stone bridge.

"I don't remember hearing or reading anything about it." Kayla said.

Kody pulled on Epona's reins and directed her towards the bridge. The horse galloped over and stood before the old bridge. Kody could see the wear and tear that had befallen the bridge. The entire left railing was broken and some pieces of the bottom had fallen, leaving holes in the bridge.

"Doesn't look too safe." Kayla noted, looking along the bridge.

"It looks sturdy enough." Kody said. He then jerked Epona's reins. The horse took the sign and then trotted forward to go across the bridge. With each clop Kody kept looking from the bridge to the river.

The river looked deep and the current was going strong. The last thing they wanted was to fall in. Epona took another step and a stone fell from the bridge. Epona reeled back, standing on her back legs and whining out her distress. Kayla yelled as she grabbed onto Kody tighter. Her grip falling down to grab onto his wound. Kody lurched forward from the pain and his head hit Epona.

The hit to his head knocked him back and dazed him. He slumped forward as Epona settled back down. Kody barely registered as the horse then took off at great speed over the bridge. He opened his eyes to see a dirt road in front of him. Then he closed his eyes. He opened them again to hear Kayla screaming his name and shaking him. Epona was still running full speed but there was something different. There was no dirt road ahead of them anymore.

His body had gone limp and he only stayed up by Kayla's grip. Kody shook his head and quickly steadied himself. He reached out and took the reins that had fallen from his grasp. He yanked hard, trying to get Epona to relax. Not even a second later the horse came to an immediate stop, skidding in the difficult terrain.

He and Kayla lurched forward and then settled atop the saddle. Kayla was breathing heavily behind him and Epona was huffing through her nose. Kody looked around and saw the many trees surrounding them in the darkness of the forest. He tried to find the dirt path again but saw nothing.

"Well, we're in the forest." Kody said. He grimaced at feeling of his side. It was probably worse now.

"I can see that." Kayla said. She wiggled behind him, pressing even closer to him. For some reason it started to make him feel uncomfortable. How much closer could she get? She was practically on top of him. "Can we get off now?"

"Yeah, hold on." Kody lifted his leg off and then jumped onto the ground.

He then reached up and grabbed onto Kayla's upper torso. He held onto her as she slipped her leg over and then came towards him. He helped her come off and let her feet hit the ground. Once she was on the ground he released her. Kody frowned at having to look up at her still. Even if it was only an inch she had on him.

"Okay let's get settled for the night." Kody said, walking over to the front of Epona. He rubbed her neck and then patter the front of her face. "Good job Epona. You can rest now." He then grabbed her reins and led her over to a tree. Kody threw the reins over a branch and then put it in a loose not. Kody then began to unstrap the saddle.

"Settled for the night?" Kayla asked. "With what?"

"Whatever we have." Kody finished and took of the saddle. Setting it on the ground. He took the leather pack off and set it on the ground. He then sat on the ground and put the pack in front of him.

Kayla watched him move and then sat in front of him. They were both directly under the large tree that Epona was tied to. Kody took out another bandage along with the cylinder of healing salve. As he opened the canteen Kayla held out her hand and touched his. "Let me do it." She said softly. Looking into his eyes.

"Do you know how?" Kody asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I watched you do it." She said, then smiled. "You're not the only one that learns quickly."

Kody softened his features and then let go of the canteen. He lifted up his shirt so that she could get to his arrow wound.

Kayla was careful as he had been. Making sure to be gentle with his wound. And Kody didn't struggle as bad as she had. He was more used to taking a hit and then getting it cleaned and fixed up.

She took the healing gel and began to spread it around his wound. It hurt, true but he could take it. She finished off the front side and he turned so she could do the back part of it. Once she finished with that side he held up his arms so she could wrap him with the white bandage.

They had been silent so far but apparently it made her feel uncomfortable. Kody didn't mind silences. He actually enjoyed them. But Kayla was not of the same mind.

"What are we going to do next?" She asked him as she kept wrapping his wound up.

"We will follow your map in the morning." He said. "Search for the Master Sword. Then I guess… get it?" He said more like a question. She looked up at him with a frown. "Look I don't have the exact details but that's the gist of the plan." He said.

"Well then what about for the night?" She asked.

"That's easy, make a small fire and then rest for the night." Kody said.

"You can make a fire?" She asked as she went around his body one more time. Tying the end of it and then leaning away from him.

"Yes, one of the many things my uncle taught me." He said with a grin. He then stood up and looked over her bandage work. "Not bad." He said with a smile.

"Well it's the first time I have done that." Kayla said smiling and shrugging. Proud of herself.

"Let's hope you won't have to do it again." He said before lifting his shirt up even more. Kayla's eyes followed up to another set up bandages that were tied around his upper chest.

"What happened there?" She asked.

"Oh, I missed a block and my uncle got me up here." He said pointing to his upper left pectoral muscle. "That was two days ago." He then put his shirt down and then pointed to his right arm. "Three days ago." Then he held up his left hand. "Yesterday."

"Well I hope you learned to not get hit." Kayla said with a smirk.

"Of course. At least I hope so." He reached down and picked up his bow and arrows. Slinging them onto his back. "Let's go find some sticks and stuff."

Kayla used the light on her phone as they walked around the tree that they decided to make camp. Kody collected an armful of small sticks along with rocks. They came back to in front of the tree and Kody picked out a patch of dirt on the ground. He cleared the dirt patch and then put rocks around it.

"You should turn off your phone." Kody said as he set up the sticks to make a teepee. "Save the battery on it."

"Oh alright." Kayla proceeded to turn off her phone and put it into her pocket. Kody finally finished setting up the teepee and then turned to his shirt. He looked at the bloodied bottom of it and then ripped off a piece of it. He then put it underneath the sticks and went for his leather pack.

He took out two sets of stones and then held them towards his little campfire. Kayla watched him as he started striking the stones together. After nearly a minute of unsuccessful strikes he stopped and looked at Kayla. "This isn't as easy as it looks." He told her.

Kody struck it again and then stopped. He looked over his shoulder to see Epona still standing there, calm. He thought he heard something. 'Must be my imagination.' He thought. Then he struck the stones two more times. After the second time he heard it again.

'It can't be the wind.' Kody thought. Since there was no wind. He turned back and then struck the stones again.

There it was again. The sound. Not quite like someone stepping on sticks but quite close to that sound. And it wasn't too far off. He turned his eyes to Epona. The horse then perked up. Her ears twitching as if picking something up. Kody slowly turned his head one more time to the campfire. Once more striking the stones.

This time the sparks got the piece of clothing and it began to burn. Kayla looked up at him with bright happy eyes. "You did it!"

Out from the darkness lunged a large shadow.

A growl echoed from the shadow as it came towards the two kids. Epona reeled up and sounded her displeasure quite loudly. Kody lifted his left hand up and pushed Kayla behind him as they both shot to their feet. He already had his bow in his right hand. Once Kayla was behind him Kody grabbed an arrow and put it on the bow. The figure moved towards them slowly until it came close to the fire and the two could see what it was.

"A wolf." Kody breathed out. The large wolf had white fur and green eyes. It barred its teeth as it growled at both of them. The large chain collar on it had a chain attached that disappeared into the darkness.

"It's a dire wolf." Kayla said. She was standing right behind him but didn't run off. She was safest next to him anyway.

A dire wolf, thought to be extinct. The ancient beast was nearly as large as Epona. Certainly large enough for a grown man to ride. But Kody guessed the wolf wouldn't allow that.

The wolf stepped a giant paw forward and Epona whined again. This caught the beast's attention. It turned its head to look at the poor horse.

"Hey!" Kody yelled and pulled back on his bow. The wolf immediately turned back to Kody. As He released the shot the wolf lunged at the young Hero. The arrow simply went through its fur and missed. The wolf came down on Kody, pressing two giant paws on his chest. Kayla screamed but couldn't do anything except move backwards. Kody gasped as he hit the ground and looked up at the beast. It flashed its fangs and moved close to his face.

Kody reached his right hand out, searching for something to use before the wolf ate his face. His hand landed on a rock near the campfire which was still burning. Kody grabbed the rock and then swung it at the wolf's head.

The wolf whined and took a step back, taking a paw off of Kody's chest. Kody used this opportunity to grab onto his sword with his right hand. He unsheathed the blade and held it up. He struck the wolf on its left side just above the leg. The wolf then was forced to stagger back from this.

Kody didn't waste time in jumping to his feet and holding his blade out in front of him. He kept it aimed at the dire wolf before him. The wolf then looked back at him with its green eyes. Teeth showing its displeasure of the move. Kayla was still there but was back farther now. Good, he didn't want her close to him.

The wolf began to circle around him. Kody followed the circle movement as well. The eyes of the wolf showing hatred for him. Kody looked at the chain on it and began to formulate a plan.

The beast didn't let him create one. It growled and then rushed at him. Kody swung up his sword and came down at the head. The wolf stopped and jumped to the side. Kody's blade hit the ground and he looked to the wolf. It came at him, mouth open. Going for his neck. Kody turned to the side and he felt the jaws go into his shoulder.

"Ahh!" Kody screamed as he fell onto his back. The wolf bit down harder on his shoulder. With enough force the wolf could take out his entire arm, and Kody knew it could do it.

He had already dropped his sword and his left hand came up to grab the jaw of the wolf, using all his strength to try and stop the impending doom. But he was not nearly strong enough. Kody's eyes searched for something, anything.

The campfire! His eyes went to the sticks that were still ablaze. He reached out and grabbed the flaming sticks. His hand burned but he had worse pain going on right now. He took several sticks and shoved them into the eyes of the wolf.

This worked quite well. The wolf let go of him and then backed away. Whimpering and slapping its face to get the burn out. Kody grabbed onto his shoulder and then turned onto his stomach. "Gah!" His right arm was definitely damaged badly right now. He didn't know if he could wield his sword. Kody got to his knees and grabbed onto the sword with both hands.

Turning back to the wolf, still on his knees, Kody could see it charging him. Kody rolled to the side as it jumped at him. Kody managed to get to the side of the wolf as it was on top of him and held up his sword. At the last moment he saw a large paw coming for his face.

He was thrown onto his back as the claws hit the top right side of his face. He shouted in pain. The sword came from his hands and the wolf slid past him and landed his other claw onto the last remaining sticks that were on fire. Taking out the light and leaving the entire area in darkness.

* * *

Kayla saw the wolf lunge at Kody and watched him roll. He was knocked back as a claw hit him in the face. The sword, however, went into the side of the dire wolf. Kayla watched the wolf land on the remaining sticks, putting out the fire.

Kayla could do nothing but stand there in the darkness. She heard the sounds of the wolf growling and movement. Epona neighed and Kody grunted. There was the sound of fabric ripping and a branch breaking and then more animal noises. Kayla quickly took out her cellphone and turned it back on.

"Come on, Come on!" She cried out as it loaded up again. It was a grueling minute as she waited for it to turn on. She then hit the light and quickly turned to look around the area.

She panted heavily as she looked around with her flashlight. The campfire was dead and no one was around it. She shined it to the right and saw Kody's sword on the ground. Her breathing intensified as she moved the light around. The noises had stopped now and she feared the worst. Kayla took a step forward and shined the light to where Epona was. The branch she was tied to was broken and she wasn't there. "Kody?" She called out. Her light moved along the ground and she saw blood on the ground. "Kody!" She called out louder.

She took another step forward and shined the light further to her left. She stopped and gasped at what she saw.

Epona was standing there. Huffing loudly as if she had just ran for an hour. Below her was the dire wolf. Whimpering on the ground. Standing in between the two was Kody. He had one hand on Epona's neck, calming her. While in his other hand was a broken arrow with the tip pointed at the dire wolf. Kayla saw the blood drip down the arrowhead.

"Kody?" She called out again.

He turned to look at her and she covered her mouth from the inaudible gasp she made. His face had three claw marks on it with blood coming down. One was under his eye going up his cheek. The third was on his forehead going into his hairline. The middle one went from the bridge of his nose, over his eye, and across his temple. His shirt was torn and the bite marks on his right shoulder were visible.

"Kayla stay back!" He said, holding out his free hand. Kody turned to look back at the fallen beast before him. It was laying on the ground. Breathing shallow and whining from its injuries.

Kayla, despite the warning, stepped forward. She shined the light directly at the wolf. Even though Kody was injured the wolf was worse. It had many wounds, most from Kody, but it had older wounds. Painful ones. Kayla could see that it had been in pain its entire existence.

"Kody, its hurt." She said.

"I know, I did it!" Kody said as if she didn't already know.

"No, I mean… look." She took a step forward and showed a part of missing fur on the right side. It looked like an old burn mark.

"What?" Kody then took a step forward and inspected closely. The dire wolf barked and lashed out at Kody when he did so. Kody held up his hands in defense but then looked at the arrowhead he was holding. Kody then looked back at the growling wolf. Kody discarded the arrow, throwing it into the darkness.

The wolf stopped growling and lowered its fangs. Its green eyes stayed focused on Kody though. Kayla kept the light on the two as Kody knelt down next to the wolf. She kept silent as he reached out and stroked the fur of the large beast. A low growl came from the dire wolf but it didn't lash out or even move. Kody continued to run his hand over the beast, being slow and careful.

Kayla carefully came over next to him as well. She knelt down in front of the large beast and held her hand out. Doing as Kody did, stroking the fur with soft loving movements. The wolf stopped growling and then turned its head to the side. Kayla looked from its eyes to the collar on it. The collar was made of steel and was chained tight to it. But underneath the collar were spikes that dug into the wolf's neck.

Kayla looked closer and her eyes went wide. "Kody." She whispered. He looked with her and saw the spikes digging into the dire wolf.

"Hang on." Kody said he reached for the collar and the wolf wiggled underneath, letting out and angry bark.

"Hey, hey!" Kayla said. She put her hand onto the back of its head. "Hey, it's okay." She cooed. Stroking the fur tenderly.

The wolf listened to her voice and relaxed again. Kody resumed his work and ran his fingers along the collar. He reached at the top and found the clasp. "I'm not sure this is a good idea." Kody admitted. Still, he removed the clasp and then took the spiked collar off of the dire wolf.

After doing so the dire wolf made a noise and then go to its feet. It stood to its full height and then turned its massive jaws to Kody's face. Kayla gulped at seeing this happen. This was a bad idea after all. She prayed that the wolf wouldn't kill him.

The wolf barred its teeth again. Growling at Kody. Instead of showing fear, Kody glared back into the green eyes of the beast. The dire wolf barked in his face and then turned around and ran into the darkness. Kody quickly jumped to his feet and pushed Kayla behind him, guarding her with his right arm.

They heard the wolf move into the forest. The noises of its movement continued until they disappeared in the darkness.

Kody then sighed in relief and Kayla closed her eyes. It was over. "Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Me? What about you?" She asked, looking at his two new wounds.

"Well…" Kody trailed off looking at his arm. "I could lie to you and say I'm fine." He said with a small grin.

"Come on let's clean those up."

* * *

"Sir we have a report from the southern side of the city!" Ganondorf turned to look at one of his officers that came up to him.

"What is it?" He asked. Blood had stopped coming from his arrow wound but he didn't get it patched up. He didn't need to. It would go away eventually.

"Our units encountered the Hero's group in the city."

"And? Did we capture any of them? Or did they flee again?" Ganondorf asked. His patience wearing thin with the constant escaping those pests were accomplishing.

"No sir, our men cornered them to a store. They moved in and the building exploded. Claiming the lives of two dozen of our men." The officer said.

"The companions?" He asked.

"They were in the building at the time of the explosion."

"Really?" Ganondorf thought on this as he surveyed the battle taking place in front of him. Resistance was more fierce now but they were still moving forward. He took in the war and death with a deep inhale. "Very well. Call off the searches and concentrate on moving up the middle."

"Yes sir!" The officer ran off.

Ganondorf smirked as he looked out on the dying city. "You're all alone hero."

* * *

"Careful with this one." Kody told her. He managed to get another fire going and this one was bigger with a log on it. Kayla had cleaned and covered his shoulder wound but blood had soaked through the white bandages. Kayla was now going to clean the scratches on his face.

"I will, just don't move." She told him.

Kayla slowly reached up and ran her finger, covered with the gel, along the top mark. He hissed but didn't move as she did it. Her index finger moved all the way up to his hairline. Then she did the lower one, moving along his cheek, very carefully.

Finally she went to the middle one. The one that had gone through his eye. She carefully went through from the top of his nose and then near his eye. Finally she came across his eye. Her other fingers came up and brushed underneath his eye and on his cheek. She brushed the tips of her fingers across his face. Her index finger went across his eye and to the side of his face.

Kody opened both eyes, when did he close them? He looked to see that her face was so much closer to him now. He could feel her breath on his face. She stopped spreading the gel on him and left her fingers on the side of his face. Her light touch turned into a soft touch as she pressed her palm against his cheek and curled her fingers around his jaw.

Kody let out a breath as he looked into her deep blue eyes. They were so bright and filled with care. She cared for him, for all of them, so much. Her eyes always showed that care. He just hadn't looked this closely before. Now that he did he was hypnotized.

This is why he was fighting. For her kind heart and caring eyes. That's why he got dirty and bloody. To keep her clean and beautiful. 'Beautiful?' Kody talked to himself. 'That's a new one. But as I look at her now… yeah. She is beautiful.'

Totally innocent in this thought he kept it in mind. Kody was indeed a clueless boy. So when realizing that Kayla was beautiful he just accepted it. He didn't dig deeper into himself to find why he thought she was so beautiful. So he did not pursue his inner feelings. He took it for what it was. And so, their connection remained the same.

At least to him.

"We'd better get some sleep." He told her. Despite how close she was he was comfortable. Accepting the notion that she was beautiful made this whole situation less awkward for him. As he said that he saw a pink hue come to her cheeks as she leaned away from him.

"Yes, we should." She agreed and removed her fingers from his cheek. She immediately turned away from him and went over to the fire. She rested on the ground and put her head down.

Kody watched her lay down with a frown. She just turned away from him and went to lay down away from him. 'That was odd.' He thought.

Kody scooted closer to her and laid down as well. He kept a foot distance between them and laid on his back.

"Thank you." He heard her say. Kody turned to look at her again to see her facing him. "For saving my life, again." She had a tiny smile on her lips as she looked at him.

"It's my job." He told her.

She smiled bigger and then scooted her way closer to him. Closing the distance to a few inches. "We'll be fine, as long as we have each other." She said softly.

Kody gulped at seeing those eyes again. She was getting closer for a sense of security, he told himself. He reached out with his left arm and brought it around her shoulders. Bringing her all the way next to him. He would be lying if he didn't saw he enjoyed the contact with her. She slid up next to him and then he heard her sigh. He let out a long exhale then closed his eyes.

"As long as we have each other." He repeated.

* * *

Fin.

A/N: Well I did not expect this to be that long but the whole wolf scene went longer than I thought. Oh well I hope you enjoyed it. So we lost Uncle Ben. A moment of silence please…

… He did his duty, may he rest in peace. Now Ganondorf thinks they're dead. But they aren't. The group lives to fight another day.

And for that storyline I thought long and hard about who should have the point of view and in the end I went with Kari. Because she had the most emotional scene and it brought the most impact on her. But my second choice was Mary. I hope you liked the scene, even though it was a hard one. And now Kayla and Kody grow closer but poor Kody is completely clueless. He's too innocent and doesn't understand romance very well. But maybe Kayla will help him along…? We can only hope.

So like it, love it? Mad at me for killing off a character? Let me know, drop a review telling me what you think!


	7. Hyrule in Need

A/N: Chapter 7 everyone! Hard to believe we're halfway through. Well sort of. Thank you for the reviews as well! And maybe the wolf shall return… we'll see. Also, yes, war has its price. Not everyone can escape it. The plot is thickening our heroes are scattered and lost. But they will not give up! At least I hope so. Would make for a depressing story if they gave up. I saw that many of you were affected with the dark tone of the last chapter. Well things will be getting darker as we get deeper, so dig in and prepare to hurt. Because as you get older the world is colder. But as I always have I try to put in at least a good layer of brightness so that this story doesn't edge off into the dark land. Too much. With that said, I give you a lighter build in character development this time around. You know, to balance everything out. You're welcome.

Hyrule in Need

The night grew darker from the black smoke billowing into the air. The city was in chaos. People running and hiding from the war zone that had become their city. The middle of the city had become laced with death and destruction. Civilians had fled into the outskirts of the city to avoid the battle between Ganondorf's forces and the Security forces.

As time went on the battle intensified closer to the middle of the city. The south side of the city was mostly torn and destroyed but now wholly abandoned. As the survivors had ran off from the middle of it.

The group of heroes had made it across the city to Micah's house. The general location was left mainly unharmed. Some people remained in their homes for this reason but most had fled, leaving the city.

Inside of Micah's house most of the lights were off. Trying not to signal the enemy that they were taking up residence there. The group mostly used flashlights to navigate their way around the house.

Kari looked over at Mary who was sitting next to her. The poor girl was hiccupping from crying so much. Kari felt bad for her. She had just lost one of the last family members that she had. Kari couldn't pretend to know how the young girl felt.

So she reached over and grabbed onto Mary's shoulders. Pulling her close so that she didn't have to feel alone in this scary new world. Mary put her face into Kari's side and cried silent tears. Kari stoked her back with her hand. Closing her eyes as she too relived the memory of what had just happened.

Ben had sacrificed his life so that they could escape. She didn't ever want anyone dying for her. And now that it had happened… she couldn't describe what she was feeling. Her stone cold heart had melted.

Kari wasn't exactly a heartless person, she just guarded herself so tightly. After the events of the year previous she had come out a bit. Letting herself care for her companions. But now after this… it was like a dam breaking. Why was her life more valuable than his? Why did she deserve to live and he did not? She had never seen or experienced someone she knew dying. But now… now it was the threat being realized. That they could all die.

She didn't try to hide or stop her tears from falling down her cheeks. Like Mary, she silently cried. Holding the young girl close as they shared in their sadness.

They were sitting in front of the couch, using it as a shield to their back from the window behind them. Around them the boys were rushing around gathering supplies.

Micah's parents had gathered up supplies much like Micah had said. There were several packs in front of them. They all contained something different. From food to water and medical supplies as well as ammunition for the multiple guns that Micah got out. The guns were laid out in front of the packs, numbering near two dozen.

The minutes ticked by as the men came in and out of the room. Kari still clutched on to the younger girl, feeling her sobs turn into sighs. Finally her breathing evened out and Kari could tell that she had fallen asleep.

Kari looked down to see that Mary had fallen into her lap, her head turned to the side. She had her eyes closed and her mouth slightly parted as she snored softly. Kari was glad that the younger girl could sleep despite all that had happened. She needed it. Who knows how long this mess would last since they had to wait for Kody and Kayla to return with the weapon that could kill Ganondorf.

She looked up to see Mary's father return. He looked down at his daughter before kneeling down. "Is she alright?" He asked.

"She fell asleep just a moment ago." Kari said. She brought her free hand up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "She's fine for now."

"Thank you." Talon said with a smile. He then picked up Mary and carried her into a different room. Kari watched them go and then looked to her leg.

Once they made it to the house Talon had looked over her leg to make sure it wasn't in serious condition. They ripped open her pant leg and she saw the damage. She had a large gash below her kneecap that ran down her leg. Her bone wasn't broken but there may have been a hairline fracture. Due to that concern they made a makeshift brace to hold her bone in place. Besides that Micah had wrapped up her cut to make sure it wouldn't get infected.

She looked back up to see Micah walk back into the room. He was holding a large rifle in one hand and had a backpack in his other. He walked over next to her and then sat down without a word. She looked over at his face as he unzipped the backpack. He pulled out a water bottle and handed it over to her.

Reaching out she took the water bottle and opened it up. She drank half of the water, feeling parched from the last few hours. She handed it back over to him and he drank some from it as well. He finally put it down and then looked over at her.

"How's your leg?" He asked.

"It's fine." She said, looking down at it. Even though it still hurt like hell. "I could use some painkillers though." She said honestly.

"How bout something better?" He asked and then took out a small bottle of brownish liquid. Kari immediately recognized it as whiskey.

"That works." Kari said with a smile. She tried to take it from him but he stopped her.

"This isn't something to be taken lightly Kari." He warned her.

She frowned and then took it from his grasp. "Since when are you such an expert on alcohol?" She asked as she popped off the top and then took a small sip. It was still disgusting and she made a face.

"My parents." He said taking it back from her. "Notice how I've never been sick?" He asked her as he took a gulp of the liquid.

"Didn't you used to be ill a lot as a kid?" She asked.

"Yeah, but a drink of alcohol a day keeps the bacteria away." He gave half a smile then took another drink. "My parents are old fashioned. They like to use old medicines and tricks. While they can be odd at times most things work."

"Where are your parents?" She asked, taking the bottle from his fingers.

"My father is on the Security Force. He's out fighting right now. Probably will be one of the last men standing." Micah said in an even tone.

"You seem confident of that." Kari noted.

Micah looked down in front of him. "After last year I asked my parents about these Sheikah people. They told me that we were in fact the last of these people. That the reason for us being old fashioned was because we follow the forgotten ways of our people." He then began tracing small circles on the ground. "That's the reason my father had been training me all my life." He said.

Kari looked at him a long time. She brought the glass bottle to her lips and took a long drink. Still making a face after a drink. "Was that hard?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, I appreciate everything my parents had done." He said. "They helped me grow into who I am. Probably getting me ready for times like these."

"And your mother?" She asked.

"She's a secretary at the capital. She'll be fine until they reach it." He said.

Kari frowned and brought the bottle to her lips. "You don't seem too worried about them." She took another small drink and then coughed. Handing it back to Micah.

"I know they'll be okay. If not that's the destiny of the Goddesses." He said simply.

Kari looked at him skeptically. "You've taken to this Triforce thing really hard."

"And you don't?" He asked her. He looked directly into her eyes as he took another drink. He then set it down carefully. "It's happening all around us."

"I believe it, just not as well as you I guess." She tilted her head, looking past him. "Where's Richard?" She asked, not seeing the other friend around.

"He was exhausted, so I let him sleep in my room."

"What about you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Someone has got to stay awake and keep watch." He looked at her for a little bit then looked down to his hand which held the bottle. "We shouldn't drink too much of it." He said before taking a long gulp of the drink.

"Then stop drinking." She said with a smile. She began to feel lightheaded. And for some reason she felt like smiling a lot more. It must have been the effects of the alcohol starting. Despite this she still reached out and took the bottle from him.

"Let's play a game." She said. Feeling a little playful. "We say things we have never done and if the other person has done it then they take a drink."

"Doesn't sound like my type of game." Micah took the bottle from her again and held it away from her. "And this isn't something to play around with. We're only thirteen. We shouldn't be drinking so much anyway." He explained.

"Just a little bit more, then I promise I won't pester you anymore." She said holding her hands up but smirking at him. She could tell the drinks were affecting him as well. He didn't put up much of a fight as he slowly gifted the bottle back to her. She smiled wide at her success.

"Alright, I'll start." She said. Then she looked up trying to think of a question. "Let's see, um… I've never ran away from home." She then looked over at him.

Micah raised an eyebrow. His blank look made her want to take back the question. Not wanting him to think that she assumed he did run away from home. But before she could apologize he reached out and took the bottle from her. Taking a drink.

She smiled and then nudged him with her elbow. "You're turn." She said.

"I've never failed a test." He said. This was the first time Kari ever saw him give her a sly look. He was crafty.

"Smart ass." She then took the bottle back from him and took a drink. She couldn't help but smile though. He did learn quick. "I've never gotten into a fight at school." She said. 'I can do it too.' She thought with a smirk.

He frowned and then took the bottle back. He took a drink and then set it down. Looking at her as he licked his bottom lip. "I've never gotten a valentine's gift." He said.

Kari pouted. "It's not my fault I'm popular." She complained and then took the bottle he offered back. She took a large gulp this time and grimaced at it. She shook her head and then looked back at him ready with her own. "I've never gotten detention." She said, knowing full well that he had.

"Stop cheating." He said taking the bottle and then taking a drink.

"Fine, fine." Kari shrugged. "You're supposed to ask about things you haven't done and you don't know if the other person has done anyway." She said.

"I think I understand the game. You're the one that's cheating." She noticed he was talking loudly now. Was she as well? She couldn't tell anymore. And she didn't care.

"Whatever. Your turn still." Kari said. She leaned back on her left elbow and looked at him as her eyes began to droop. She was fatigued from the day but she wasn't tired. Not very much. Her body was worn out though.

"I've never…" He trailed off. He was looking ahead of him and then turned his eyes to her. He turned away and his eyes fell to the ground. He had something on his mind but he didn't voice it presently.

"Spit it out." Kari said with a giggle.

"Okay!" He took in a deep breath and then turned his head completely away from her. "I've never been kissed."

Kari stopped smiling. Her eyes slightly widened. He was serious. She didn't laugh as she sat up straight now, their elbows bumping into each other. "Really?" She asked.

He kept looking away and at the ground. "Yeah." He said.

Kari, still staring at him, slowly reached out and took the bottle. She put it to her lips and only took a small sip. Then she grabbed the lid that was next to her and put it back on the bottle, setting it to the side. "Why not?" She asked.

"That's an easy question with a complicated answer." He said with a small laugh.

"Can't find the right one?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, well, no. I mean…" He shrugged. She saw he was getting uncomfortable. But she pressed on anyway.

"Richard won't return your affections?"

"What!?" He looked at her finally. She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "No! I mean we're friends but nothing like that!" He was taken back by her joke. Which was what she wanted.

"Don't get all riled up. It was a joke." She assured him. "You were just looking so serious. Relax a bit."

He frowned at her and shook his head. But when he looked away she caught a small smile coming to his lips. "I just never thought about it that much." He said now that the mood was more relaxed between them.

"Something changed?" She asked.

"Have you been paying attention to the past 24 hours?" He asked her.

"Yeah I guess." She frowned and looked away.

"What about you?" She turned back to him.

"What about me?" She asked.

He tilted his head as he looked at her eyes. "Who did you… you know." He didn't finish the statement but she got the question.

Kari sighed and looked at the ground in front of her feet. Recalling the memory with a small smile. "It was James Kent."

"The eighth grader?"

"Yes. It was after the winter dance."

"The eighth grade dance?"

"Well he asked me to go so it counts." She gave him a look for him to stop interrupting. "We went to the dance and I had fun." She sighed and her lips formed a thin smile. "After it we were behind the gym and he said sweet things and then…" She shrugged, thinking back to the night. "Then he kissed me."

They sat in silence for a moment. Micah looked at her as she lowered her head. Eyes trained on the carpet as her fingers scratched across the ground. "You regret it?" Micah asked.

"Well I wouldn't say regret." She giggled a little as she thought. "Just, during times like those I think that guys like him are so cool and tough." She put her hand up in the air as if questioning herself. "But I bet guys like that would rather hide and piss themselves than fight." She looked at Micah as she said that and he smiled as well.

They both then laughed at what she said. Thinking those jocks and cool kids at school trying to fight and experience what they have to. "Those guys who pick fights with us are scared right now. Sitting in their rooms, crying to their parents." They both laughed again.

"Or those pretty looking sluts at school. Probably doing the same. Their Twitter posts and amount of friends don't matter now." Kari added.

"I wonder if they'll live though." Micah said after he stopped laughing. Kari stopped her laughter as well. He was right. When they went back to school, if they went back to school, would some of their classmates be missing? Would some of them be missing? Would she really go back to school having to know that Kayla or Micah or somebody had died during this entire battle?

How could she live like that?

Then she looked up and over at Micah. Seeing his brown eyes stare forward as he thought on this as well. Was he thinking the same thing? That these could be the last nights of their lives. She turned her head and her eyes went to her hands. She was clenching them together with her thoughts of depressing things. That she could possible die at only thirteen years old.

Sitting here on the ground next to one of her friends, a little drunk, Kari came to the realization that life as she knew it was over. That nothing would ever be the same. That she was living day to day now.

It certainly put things into perspective.

Such as her friends were living that way as well. She didn't know if she would ever see Kayla again. She hoped so. She didn't know if by tomorrow night she would be sitting next to Micah or by herself. Or if he would be sitting by himself. This could be their last night. If it was…

It may have been the alcohol talking to her but Kari was always confident with everything she had done or thought. So when she got this idea she ran with it. Kari looked back to Micah. She reached out her left hand to touch his cheek.

Micah turned to her surprised. "What?" He asked.

"Just shut up, please." She told him. Micah lifted his eyebrows but didn't say anything.

Kari blinked several times and then forced his face to turn more towards her. Then she scooted closer to him so that she didn't have to lean to far forward. Taking things slow, she leaned towards him. Making sure to lick her lips before she got close. She hope that her lips didn't taste like alcohol. That would be a terrible kiss for him.

Micah picked up on what she was doing and he froze. He wasn't sure what to do. As she got closer he did lean his head to her by the smallest amount. She was glad that she didn't scare him by her movements. And then she went in for the kill.

Tilting her head just a bit, she placed her lips directly on his. Thanking the higher power that she didn't miss, Kari closed her eyes and pushed carefully against his soft lips. Both being inexperienced teenagers, they just sat there with their lips pressed together.

Micah's hand did come up and brush some of her red hair back and gripped the back of her head, just behind her ear. His thumb rubbed against her hairline and she pushed her lips harder against him. He did so as well and Kari had to admit, she felt sparks coming from him. The tender sparks of a genuine kiss, and she felt satisfied.

They kept the kiss for nearly half a minute before she pulled away from him. She opened her eyes to look into his as they separated. They both still had their hands on each other. Her hand on his cheek slowly came away. Even though she did enjoy the kiss, quite a lot, she didn't want to drive a wedge between them. But it seems she had.

"There." She spoke breathlessly. "You have your first kiss." She told him.

Micah was speechless. He slowly dropped his hand and leaned back. Obviously confused by what had just happened. Kari could have explained to him that at first she did it just so that he could have a kiss just in case any of them died. But then she would have to tell him that now it was for another reason. That reason being that she did actually enjoy it, a lot. And she wouldn't mind putting her lips to his again.

But no, Kari just left him confused. She grabbed onto the couch behind her and lifted herself up. She brought herself up and laid on the couch. She then turned her head to face away from him. For the next few minutes she could feel his eyes on her back.

She felt sorry for him. He probably was thinking the wrong things about the interaction. That she did it out of pity. But she didn't. Kari knew she was shallow but she wasn't that shallow. She wouldn't think to do something out of pity. She bit her lip as her mind plagued her with other thoughts. One important thought was, did he like it as much as her?

She heard him slide over a bit and felt his eyes turn away from her. She was doing a kind thing from the bottom of her heart, but now it looks like it had gone very badly.

Though, she liked the way he kissed.

* * *

It was oddly uncomfortable. She didn't remember her bed being so hard. And since when did she start opening her window for the sun to shine in? And what was with those birds chirping near her. This was a very odd way to wake up.

Kayla opened her eyes just a bit to figure out what was going on. That was when she saw what was going wrong. She wasn't on her bed. She was in the grass.

Memories of the night before came back to her. Realization of what had happened made her relax a little bit. Kayla was laying on her left side in the grass. Her left hand was under her head as a makeshift pillow. She had slept awfully well considering the terrain she was on.

Her fatigue had left her and she felt well rested. Maybe she should sleep outside on the ground more often. Kayla's eyes moved up to see the rays of the sun poking through the branches on the tree.

She looked back down at herself. The bottom six inches of her green shirt was torn off. And in its place was a white bandage wrapped around her abdomen. The bandage brought back the painful reminder that she had an arrow go through her body. She tensed up at the memory from last night.

She went to bring her right hand up to her wound but she couldn't move it. Kayla looked down to see her right hand pressed against her waist. But something else was pressing it against her body. She saw that something else was another arm. But she didn't have three arms.

Turning her head around she tried to look behind her. That was when she registered that something was between her feet and pressed against her back. Looking back she could see the outline of a torn blue shirt along with a white bandage. Her mind realized that it must be Kody.

Then she looked back down at her right arm. His arm was on top of hers, pressing it against her waist. He was practically holding her. She guessed that they moved around in their sleep. Now his body was pressed against her back and his foot was in between hers.

The intimacy was not lost on her. Her cheeks began to burn hot red at the contact. They were so close together. She couldn't feel his head but it must be close to the back of her head as well. Kayla's eyes darted all around in front of her. Kody was still asleep.

With that knowledge Kayla smiled and closed her eyes again. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She pressed her body back farther, feeling the warmth from him cover her. She could enjoy this small moment before they had to get back going on their mission.

Her mind then drifted off to other things. She knew she was having feelings for her best friend. Her fears that it was more than just a crush were coming true. He was special to her. So brave and honest, truly the only boy of his kind. She could tell him anything, almost anything. He was always there for her, with any problem. She would be foolish if she didn't admit that there was something there.

She didn't know if he felt the same. She didn't know what he felt. But she certainly felt more than just friendly feelings for the boy. This made her feel troubled. Kayla opened her eyes as she thought this.

With everything they were currently going through, was it wise to think of these things? To indulge in her schoolgirl feelings while the world was burning around them. It wasn't the time nor the place to think about this. But, would there ever be a time? A time for them? From the past Kayla knew that Link and Zelda never really had their time or place with each other. Would the same thing happen to them now? Being trapped in all these conflicts, their duties to the people and Hyrule. Where was a place for her feelings in their new world?

Maybe one day she could tell him. And maybe one day he could return her feelings. Maybe one day they could actually have peace and maybe… date.

That thought made her blush even harder but she still smiled. She had never been in a relationship. But if she could be in one with Kody… that was something she wouldn't mind. They were still very young, she knew that. But they were mature for their age too. After all they have lived over ten lifetimes before. Still, taking things slow was something she could get behind.

They didn't need to date. Just get comfortable with each other in a new way. Of course Kayla was assuming all this without even knowing how he felt. She had a good idea but Kody was… to put plainly, an idiot. Too naïve, too innocent. He didn't know what he felt. So how could she?

Sighing and frowning she looked at the grass in front of her. She reached out with her left hand and stroked the soft greenery. "It doesn't matter." She whispered to herself. Because it really didn't. All this feelings and thoughts of something more were pointless. Considering that they could die in a few days. She decided waiting until all this was over. When it was over then she could focus on feelings and stuff.

Her musings stopped as she looked past her hand. Near twenty feet away from them was something laying in the grass. Lifting up her head, Kayla looked at the object. She finally got a good look and saw that it was a dead rabbit, lying in the grass.

Kayla narrowed her eyes to look closer at the rabbit carcass to see that it had several large holes in its neck. She moved to look past the rabbit to see something else in the distance. In between some trees on a small hill was the outline of a large animal. Kayla recognized the outline of the dire wolf they fought last night.

"Kody." Kayla whispered. She wiggled her right arm free from his grip and elbowed him when he wouldn't wake up. "Kody!" She said louder.

"Ow." Kody complained and immediately recoiled from the elbow she gave him. He removed his hand from her and held onto his sore abdomen. "What was that for?" He asked in a tired voice.

"The wolf." Kayla said, pointing ahead at the wolf in the distance. Kody then sat up and looked over her, seeing the dire wolf.

Kody then got to his feet and stepped over her, grabbing onto his bow as he did so. Kayla sat up and watched as he walked over to the dead rabbit and looked down at it. Then he looked back at the wolf standing in the distance.

Kody reached down and grabbed the dead rabbit and lifted it up. Kayla saw the wolf then turn and walk down the hill in the opposite direction. Kody stood in his spot for a moment, looking out at the forest. After a minute he was satisfied and then turned back to Kayla who was now sitting.

"What was that about?" She asked him.

"I think he gave us food." Kody explained, looking at the rabbit.

"He? So the wolf is now a guy." Kayla asked with a smile.

"Maybe. I don't know. I have a 50/50 shot at it." He said with a shrug. "Seems like the wolf sees us as a friend." Kody determined. He then walked over to Epona.

"Doesn't fit your appetite?" She asked him.

"Not that. We've lost too much light." Kody explained. He began to load up his things. Tying the rabbit to the saddle and putting it back on Epona. He then put his bow and shield on the saddle as well. Tying everything tightly as he did so.

"So we've got to get going?" Kayla asked, leaning back on her hands as she watched him load up.

"Yes, I want to reach something more fitting than staying out in the open by nightfall. And I don't want to push Epona all day." He explained.

"Since when did you turn into an expert with all this?" She asked with a small smile.

"I just picked up on some things. Everything else is just common sense." He explained.

"Well then let's get going."

They decided to walk Epona at first. Kody guiding her along as they walked through the forest. He followed the tracks from the night before to find the dirt road again. Once he did he led them back to the river and the bridge. Wanting to gather up water before they ventured further into the forest.

They reached the river bank and Kody allowed Epona to drink as he filled up the canteen. Kayla went down to the water and began washing her hands.

"We should find you new clothes." She said, looking at his poor shirt. It was torn on the bottom along with the right shoulder. It was also shredded in the middle from where the wolf swiped at him the night before but only caught his shirt. The article of clothing had turned into blue rags.

"I'm fine for now." He said. Setting the canteen aside and then dipping his hands into the water and bringing some up to his face and wiping his face. "At least it's not winter." He said with a ghost smile.

Kayla undid the ponytail she had her hair in and let it flow down freely. She brushed it a few times with her hand. "I wish I had my brush." She mumbled with a frown.

"I wish I had pizza. We can't get what we want." Kody said.

"This living on the run is going to be hard." Kayla said as she rubbed water on her arms.

"We'll manage. Somehow." Kody said as he stood up. He walked over to Kayla as she finished washing herself. "Let me see the map." Kody asked for it.

Kayla wiped her hands on her shirt and then grabbed the map from her back pocket. She handed it to him and he unrolled it. Kayla watched him look over the map.

"There seems to be a path that leads to the opening of this Lost Woods. And a building is on the edge of it." He said looking over it.

"A building?" Kayla asked.

"It's probably big for it to be displayed on the small map. We could reach it before nightfall."

* * *

"What's going on with you and Kari?"

Micah try as he might, couldn't ignore Richard. It was a simple question that shouldn't mean much. But it did mean quite a lot. It wasn't his choice for something to happen between them. But it did happen, and now it was awkward.

Micah and Richard were walking down the street in the daylight. They had volunteered in the morning to go out and see what happened to the city after one night. They had taken a pistol each and hid them in their pockets. Besides that Richard had an empty pack and Micah had a small pack filled with supplies for them.

"Nothing is going on." Micah shrugged it off.

"I may be foolish but I'm not dumb." Richard said.

"I never said you were."

There were a few stragglers around running from building to building. But overall the action had died down greatly. Just miniscule pockets of battle kept going on in the city. They were left alone for the most part and moved freely back into the middle of the city where most of the stores were.

"You're avoiding the question." Richard noted.

They saw a small group of people moving on the other side of the road. They looked to be normal people but Micah still reached behind his back and put his hand on the pistol.

"I'm not avoiding it I'm ignoring it." Micah admitted.

"So there is something going on between you two? What happened last night?" Richard kept pestering him.

"What do you want me to say?" Micah rolled his eyes. They turned down the next road and kept going. Searching for any store that was open. Or available for looting. They weren't going to just steal from a store. But if one was already destroyed and robbed, they wouldn't shy away from picking the remains.

While the group did have many supplies already they knew it was going to be a long battle. So it wouldn't hurt to stock up on more. All while gaining some intel on Ganondorf's movements and the state of the city. So far, it seemed that the fighting had died down. And that Ganondorf's men have moved on far from their area of the city.

"The truth would be nice." Richard murmured.

"She kissed me." Micah said. He didn't blurt it out in frustration he just said it simply. More his style. Straight to the point, not much for putting feeling into the words. Just the plain simple truth.

"What?" Richard stopped, forcing Micah to as well. "I think I misheard you."

"No, you didn't." Micah replied.

"I think you spoke wrong."

"No, I didn't."

"I think you want to repeat your answer."

"No, I don't."

"I think you want to take back what you said."

"No, I don't."

"I think… I think…"

"Shut up."

Micah then began walking forward again. Richard stood, stunned. Watching Micah go ahead of him after saying something so intriguing and game changing. But passing it off like it was old news. He hurried after his friend.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Exactly what I told you." Micah said.

"But what exactly happened?"

"She just kissed me, that's it."

"No reason behind it?" Richard was oddly interested in this interaction.

"None she told me." He said.

"Well that's weird, even for Kari." Richard then looked up at the sky for thought. "You think she'll give me a kiss?" He asked.

Micah turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Why would she?" He asked.

"I could die! It would be nice to know what a kiss is like." He whispered the last sentence.

"It's… interesting." Micah admitted. He then looked over to the road on his right. "Get down." He then grabbed onto Richard and pulled him along. He rushed into the nearest building and kicked open the wooden door. He pushed Richard inside and then knelt behind the wall, staring out the doorway.

Outside there was a patrol of Ganondorf's men. The group numbered over twenty. They were all well armed and some had blood on their black armor. They were probably from the front lines and were searching out a place to fortify. Micah watched them walking down the road and he pulled out his pistol, holding it at the ready.

The army kept moving and then went down the opposite road, not stopping. Micah breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his head. He looked at his pistol and then put the safety back on. He turned to Richard and then saw that they had gone into a home where a mother was holding her two young children. Looking quite frightened at the intruders. Micah's eyes flashed from Richard, who was staring at the family, to the family. He brought his finger up to indicate for them to be quiet.

The mother nodded and Micah turned back to Richard. Indicating for him to go. They quickly ran out of the house, shutting the door behind them.

"That was interesting." Richard said.

"Yes, quite." Micah agreed. They jogged down the road and then turned right again. "There." Micah pointed to a store that had its windows busted out.

The sign above it indicated that it was a corner drug store. The two ran across the street and through the broken glass doors. Once inside they stopped.

The glass on the ground cracked beneath their shoes. The store itself had many things stolen already, but some shelves still had items. These items were more or less useless but some things could be helpful. Micah looked over at the cashier's counter to see blood splattered along it.

Richard stepped forward and went looking for things. Micah walked over to the counter to inspect the blood. As he came closer he could see more blood. When he reached the counter he saw an arm sticking out to the side, leading behind it. Micah turned his head and closed his eyes. 'Poor soul, probably didn't have time to run.' He thought.

Opening his eyes, Micah stepped forward to see the fallen person. He saw that it was a girl, no more than eighteen. Most likely still in high school, paying for her future in college. Now that was over. Her blue eyes were dead and open still. He knelt down over the girl. Micah bowed his head and reached down with his right hand. He whispered a prayer to the Goddesses and closed her eyes.

He finished his prayer and then looked down at the girl. 'In the coming days, could this be Mary or Kari?' He thought and his face paled. Thinking of having to say a prayer for one of them, chilled him.

"You find anything?" Micah asked Richard as he stood up. His eyes still on the girl laying before him.

"Water, food, and some medicine." Richard said from across the store. "Hey do you think Kari will need these?" Micah looked over to see Richard holding up a box of… lady things.

"How should I know?" Micah asked, holding up his hands.

"Better bring them then." Richard said as he stuffed the box into his pack. Micah rolled his eyes and moved back around the counter.

"What of Ganondorf's armies? Do we have anything to tell the others?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, they are patrolling the streets. And they have seemed to move north. So we can start moving into the city." The two ran down the street and back to Micah's house.

"Moving into the city?" Richard asked.

"To start the resistance."

* * *

"There he is again." Kody said. Kayla turned to look over his right shoulder to see what he was talking about. She saw nothing but the roaming trees of the forest they currently went through.

"Where?" She asked.

Kody pointed over to his right where she had been looking. "Right there. About 200 feet out." He said.

"I don't see anything." She said with a frown.

"Well he's there… again." Kody sighed and put both hands on Epona's reins again. They had gotten back onto her after they stopped for lunch four hours earlier. Kody showed off his cooking techniques by cleaning and cooking the rabbit which was a gift from the wolf. It could have been better, but it was still food. They ate their fill and carried on. Kody feeling bad that he didn't have anything for Epona.

Kody was indicating the wolf. For the whole trip Kody kept saying that the wolf was following them. From far away, keeping its distance. Watching them. Kody didn't trust the beast but he knew it wasn't going to attack him again. If it was going to attack it would have done so when they had stopped for lunch. So the wolf was just simply watching them. Traveling with them, since it had no place to go.

"I think he likes you." Kayla said with a faint smirk. Epona's slow walk was comforting. Kayla didn't have to hold on to Kody but she still had one hand wrapped around his waist, below the arrow wound he had.

"He tried to eat me." Kody said and rolled his right shoulder that was bandaged. Four red spots were peeking through the white bandage though.

"But then you two made friends." She said, scooting a little bit back. She leaned her chest forward and laid against his back. As she did so Kody stiffened, she could feel his muscles constrict. She had an idea why but she blocked out the reason.

"Friends is a loose term." Kody argued. Her poor hero. All bandaged and full of wounds. But he kept moving and pushing like he was perfectly fine.

"Friendship takes a long time." She offered. Kayla closed her eyes and laid her head on the back of his neck. The long ride was taking a toll on her. She hoped they would take a break soon. But she doubted it since the sun was about to set.

"Whoa!" Kody said, pulling back on the reins. Kayla opened her eyes and looked up. Did she doze off? She couldn't tell.

"What?" She asked looking past his shoulder to see why he had stopped. Looking out she could see down the road a large building. It was made of white and gray stones and seemed to be over thirty feet tall. It appeared that a large tree had grown from within it. Breaking through the roof of the building.

"That must be the building on the map." Kody then reached behind him and Kayla took the notice. She took out the map and handed it to him. Kody unfurled it and held it up for both of them to view. Kayla leaned forward, moving her hand up to grip his chest as she looked as well.

"It is, we're close!" Kayla said with a smile. Looking over at Kody. Since she was leaning so far she could actually see his face. And could see the three marks over his eye. Her face fell at seeing those marks. Would they scar? For the rest of his life? Forever having those three scars on his face.

"Yes, that means were are near the Lost Woods!" Kody agreed. Kayla silently leaned back.

Kody moved Epona down the path and towards the building. "What do you think is in there?" Kayla asked.

"Would it be too much to hope for a bed?" Kody asked. Then his head turned to the side. "Or two."

"Clothes maybe?" Kayla asked. Both were hoping but doubted it was true.

As they came closer to the building Kayla recognized it. She sat up at the sight of what the symbols on it was. There were many crests that indicated that it was of Zelda. Of herself. And that it was an old temple. A sacred one, she could tell from the symbols. From her memory of the books she had read she had recognized all these things.

"It's a temple." She whispered.

"A temple, for the Goddesses?" Kody asked her. They came within a hundred feet of it.

"Yes, I read in one of the books that your family kept that during the early years of Hyrule that Zelda… I built a sacred temple. A temple for the Triforce and the Goddesses. It was guarded by the elders and the sages for centuries. But then it fell into disrepair after we disappeared."

"I can tell." Kody said as they got closer. The plate glass window above the large wooden doors was broken on the top. The window used to be the symbol of the Triforce. The door had gold melted onto it in intricate symbols. The temple itself was on a small hill, elevating over the forest area they were traveling from.

"It is the Sacred Temple of the Goddesses. THE Sacred Temple. Only one like it in all of Hyrule." Kayla said as they rode up to the front of the temple. "It disappeared over a thousand years ago. The first of the land of old Hyrule to go."

"Looks like its back. Magic I'm guessing." Kody said. He stopped in front of the temple. The stones on the ground that formed a path were pure white and seemed to be glowing white.

Kody came down from Epona and looked around the area. Seeing that no threat was around he reached out to Kayla. She swung her leg around and let him grab onto her sides and help her down. Her feet hit the ground but he still held onto her body. She looked into his blue eyes and he looked back at her. Then his eyes shifted to the side and he moved her out of the way.

"Look out." He said as he grabbed his bow from the saddle as well as an arrow. He nocked the arrow and then took a step forward. Kayla looked to where he was aiming and saw the large white dire wolf walking up the path towards them.

The wolf walked up with its head lowered, green eyes trained on Kody as it moved forward. Kayla looked between the two but stayed behind Kody. It was a long moment before the wolf made its way to stand before Kody. Its head was still lowered and it didn't show its teeth or growl at Kody.

Kody finally lowered his bow, and took away the arrow. The wolf's ears twitched and it walked up to Kody. Its side was turned to the front of the young boy. Kody looked at Kayla who shared a look. Then he reached down and stroked the fur coat of the wolf.

Kayla walked up and shared in petting the wolf. "Seems like he warmed up to you." She said with a smile.

"You were right." Kody said nodding. He kept his eyes on the large wolf before him as he stroked the fur.

"I usually am." This time he looked up at her. She gave him a proud smirk and held up her left hand that had the mark of the Triforce. "Triforce of Wisdom. Comes with the name." She said.

"Courage doesn't offer me much." Kody mumbled and then stopped petting the wolf. He then patted the side of the wolf. "Go on." The dire wolf looked at him and made a noise. "We have to go inside. I'm not sure animals are allowed in there." Kody looked at Kayla for confirmation.

"Uh, right. Sorry." She said to the wolf.

The dire wolf whined and then walked over next to Epona. The horse just stood there, seeming to accept the wolf's presence. The wolf went to lay down next to Epona and moved its eyes from Kayla to Kody.

"You have your first pet!" Kayla said, smiling at her friend. Kody frowned looking at her. He then shook his head and put the bow on his back. He took the shield from Epona's saddle and placed it on his back as well. As he passed the wolf it sat up and looked at him.

"Ah! Stay." Kody said, holding his hand out. The wolf laid back down and looked away from him. Kody rolled his eyes. "Stubborn." He mumbled. Kody placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and motioned for Kayla to follow.

Kayla stifled a giggle and followed him. Kody came to the doors and then pushed them both open. As he did so Kayla froze. She had seen this before. Kody opening the doors to the temple. She had seen this in her vision. Only Kody was wearing armor. And he was taller, and older. But she couldn't deny that this was one of her visions happening before her eyes.

She shook her head and walked forward, into the temple. Inside she looked around, her mouth hanging open. The temple was decorated with lavish paintings and beautiful banners. The white stones seemed to glow in here as well. The wooden benches were long and old. Some near the back were broken. The tree that had grown from the inside was near the front of the temple, growing almost sideways and out of the broken roof of the temple. Towards the front of the temple was a giant glass painting.

Kayla knew that she most likely did not have that glass painting made. Since she saw what it was. Well, she could guess what it was. It was a woman. Wearing a purple and white dress with a golden crown on her head. And a very telling golden tattoo on her left hand. It was a giant mural to her. Or Princess Zelda.

"Somebody is full of themselves." Kody noted. Kayla finally looked from the temple to him. He was all the way at near the front of the temple and the steps.

"I didn't make that!" She said gesturing to the glass.

"You said that you made the temple. So you must have made that." Kody said with a smirk.

"I don't think I did."

"She's right." Kayla turned and Kody spun around. He took out his sword and pointed it at the new voice. From a door in the left corner of the temple came out and old man with white hair and blue robes. He walked out slowly and had both hands behind his back. "She didn't build that. The people did after her reign."

"Sahasrahla, I didn't see you." Kody said with a smile. He put his sword away and walked over to the older man.

"Wait you know this guy?" Kayla asked, pointing at the old man.

"Yes, weren't you there at the- oh no, I forgot." Kody apologized thinking back that she had been captured during most of their adventure last year.

"Seriously, what did I miss?"

"Princess Zelda did not have that built but she did have that built." Sahasrahla said and pointed up to another plate glass painting that was behind them. Kayla turned to see a smaller, smaller than hers but still quite large, painting of a warrior clad in green armor wielding a sword and a shield.

"Hey that's me!" Kody realized.

"Indeed, she had that made nearly one hundred years later when you two returned." He explained.

"Makes sense." Kayla shrugged. Then she turned back to the elderly man. "So, who exactly are you?" She asked.

"I am the elder Sahasrahla. I have guarded over this temple for years. I am here to help guide you both along and help achieve your destinies." He said.

"He gave me the shield." Kody said. Kayla moved over and now stood next to him.

"This is true. And now I am here to assist Princess Zelda." He said turning his eyes to her.

"Me?" Kayla asked, pointing to herself.

"Yes, Link has grown in many ways and is near the end of his training." He walked over to the pair and stood directly in front of her. "And now it is time to begin yours."

* * *

Fin.

A/N: So I feel like we covered a lot even though I went back over and realized that I really didn't explain a lot. Oh well. So who saw Kari/Micah coming? No one. Maybe a few. And now Kayla is going to start her training. What will that entail? And what of Kody and his search for the Master Sword? What will happen next? The ones in the city start their resistance for the days to come. Will they all survive? Or will I kill another character you love? Oh I don't kill characters on a whim. This isn't Game of Thrones. So don't worry. But worry. Try as you might, you will not be prepared for what is to come.

Please leave a review with what you think!


	8. Treasure Hunt

A/N: So I don't have a lot to say this time around. Just a lot of time jumping. For reasons. I mean, who ever really found the Master Sword on their first try? If you did you are lying. No one finds it on the first try! Anyway, here's the chapter.

Treasure Hunt

The sun came up over the land the next morning. Shining over the forest that consumed the land of old Hyrule. The wildlife woke up and went about their natural lives. The birds were flying around the old temple, singing the songs of old. Waking the forest for a new day.

The Sacred Temple was quiet for the most part. As it had always been for the past thousand years. But today it had new inhabitants. And one of these people were up in the early morning.

Kody pushed open the gold plated wooden door, to see the morning come over the forest. Kody had his shirt in his hand, exposing his bandages that covered most of his body. He sighed and looked towards the sun.

Kayla and Kody slept in one of the back rooms where there were two old beds for them to sleep on. Kayla probably intended at staying up and talking but Kody hit the bed and fell asleep. Out like a light. He slept peacefully through the night and then woke up as the sun shined through the one window in the room. So he went outside.

Reaching up, Kody touched the three lines on his face. Marks from getting scratched, and marks that will probably always be on his face. He frowned and looked over at Epona. She had moved down the hill and was eating some of the longer grass that was there. He was surprised that she was so well trained, but he had Talon to thank for that.

Looking around he searched for the wolf that had given him the scratch marks. The dire wolf was nowhere to be seen but Kody guessed that it was out hunting. Seeing as though the wolf saw him as its new master. For whatever reason.

Moving down the hill, Kody walked to Epona. The horse was still eating her fill. Kody reached out and patted her on the side of her neck. "Feeling well rested girl?" Kody asked her. Epona lifted her head up and made a huff noise but continued eating. Kody smiled and then stepped away, going back to the temple.

As he did he stopped at seeing the dire wolf, laying there in front of the temple doors. The wolf had some blood on its jaws but laid still. Kody guessed that it found some breakfast. He walked back over towards the temple and the dire wolf lifted its head up. Kody reached out and scratched the head of the wolf for a bit.

Then he walked past the wolf and back to the temple doors. Kody still had his green hat on his head. The bill facing forward and the white K letter on the front facing forward as well. On the back was the golden Triforce symbol. His blue jeans were more or less kept together but had some blood on it from his other wounds. His black converse were old but they kept doing their job, protecting his feet.

He made his way back into the temple and looked up at the glass painting of Zelda. Or Kayla. It was a very well done painting. He could see that it was an older version of her. Her face looking more mature and she was taller. He tilted his head looking at it. She was wearing a dress. Kayla had never worn a dress before. And she didn't look half bad in it.

"Princess Zelda when she was nineteen." Kody turned his head to look at Sahasrahla. The older man was dressed in the same type of robes. "After the first time she fought beside you to beat Ganondorf." He explained.

"She would help me do it?" He asked and looked back at the Zelda painting.

"There were several powerful enemies you had to face during that time. Sometimes Ganondorf was far more powerful than you prepared for. Princess Zelda would assist you with her magic. Neutralizing his powerful magic as well. Assisting in your victory."

"But aren't I supposed to be the one to protect her?" Kody asked.

"Of course. And is she going to stand by when she can help you?" Sahasrahla asked him.

"I suppose not." Kody then looked down. He didn't like the idea of Kayla helping him fight. His job was to fight. It was Kayla's job to help the people, and rule. Her helping him kind of defeated the purpose of him being there.

"You feel a sense of uselessness?" Sahasrahla asked.

"If I don't protect her then what's the point?" Kody asked, looking at the older man.

"Ah, but can you be around her all the time? I know that you believe that you can but it is impossible. Should she not be able to defend herself? And what if you get hurt? Should she not be able to help you live so that she will live as well?"

"I guess you have a point." Kody grumbled. He turned and sat upon the steps of the front of the temple. Fingering the holes in his ripped shirt that he held. Looking back over his wounds he could see the logic in this conversation. He was still only a mortal. Getting injured would prove to be hurtful to his goal. Which was protecting Kayla.

"Fear not brave Hero, you are desperately needed. Despite Princess Zelda being armed with powerful magic she still needs you. She is not a fighter. Not a warrior. She has a hardened spirit but she cannot fight the way you fight. Do the things you do. Or kill when you need to kill."

At that statement Kody reached his right hand down to clutch the handle of the sword he had on his belt. Kill, Kody hadn't killed yet. He couldn't bring himself to kill someone. Even if they were evil, even if he had to, he couldn't take another life. But he knew he had to. "What if I can't kill?" Kody asked in a low tone.

"Ah, so you fear you will become that which you face." Sahasrahla walked over and up the steps, past Kody. "You fear to take a life. It is normal. You have had this fear before." He said as he moved to a large pool of water that was sitting near the very back of the temple.

"But I've gotten over it obviously." Kody said, still looking at his sword. "And I've already killed before."

"Many times." The elder agreed. He took a golden bowl that was sitting on a pedestal near the pool of water. He knelt before the water and took the bowl, filling it with the water.

"Then why is it so much harder this time?" Kody asked him, turning his head to look at the man behind him.

"It is hard because you are young. Many times you were older when you started this journey. Sometimes younger. Most times you were forced with life or death decisions and forced to take the life. So far you have had other options than taking another life. But soon, soon you will have to make that choice. And you will not be a murderer. You are not evil. Your heart is pure and innocent. Killing an evil man doesn't make you an evil man."

"I think Batman would disagree with you." Kody mumbled and looked forward again. "But if I do take a life, is it mine to take?"

"Is it up to you to choose what others do when they face you?" Sahasrahla walked back over to stand in front of him. "The only thing you can choose is when and why to show mercy. If one is to have another chance at life. And if, by sparing them, they will take more lives. Because you have spared them."

"I feel like you are foreshadowing something." Kody said narrowing his eyes. The older man simply smiled and held out the golden bowl of water. "What's this?" Kody asked.

"You fear the scars that will come on your face. While healing all your scars will be impossible, healing the scars on your face is not. This will heal those scars you do not wish to have presented all the time."

"Like on my face."

"Indeed."

Kody eyes him for a few seconds. Then he placed his ragged shirt on the ground and grabbed the bowl of water. He set it down on the step below him and then put his right hand to cup some of the water. He brought it up to his face, spilling a few drops, and splashed it against the three lines on his face. As the water went down his face Kody blinked his eyes and looked ahead of him. He heard something close to sizzling but didn't feel anything burning him.

Kody waited until the sizzling stopped. When it did he held his right hand up and felt the scratches. They were gone.

He reached down and took the golden bowl of water and looked at his reflection. His face was completely normal. No scratch marks and no wounds upon his face. "Wow." He breathed out and ran his hand along where the marks used to be. "You said you couldn't heal all the scars?" He asked.

"That is correct. It is too large to have to heal with this power." Sahasrahla nodded.

"So I'm stuck with the other scars for the rest of my life?" He asked. Kody then looked at his left shoulder that still had the scar from when his father drove a sword through it.

"I am sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Kody said, standing up and handing the bowl back over to the older man. "As long as my face is pretty." Kody said with a cheeky smile.

"That's up for debate." Kayla said. Kody looked to see his friend walking from the room they had slept in. They had slept in separate beds.

"You know it's true." Kody kept his smile. Kayla was still wearing what she had on when they fled the city. The torn green shirt, dark blue pants, and white sneakers that were now stained with dirt and other stuff.

"Sure." She rolled her eyes but still smiled. She had the purple hat in her back pocket and was running her hand through her hair. She then pulled the band from her wrist and pulled her hair back, putting it up into a ponytail again. Maybe she wasn't liking the fact that she couldn't do her hair. Kody knew that Kayla loved doing her hair. Washing it, brushing it, etc. Being out on the lam for two days without a shower was probably painful for her. Kody wouldn't lie though, he did love showers and running hot water. But he realized that he had to get used to no showers.

"So what's your plan old man?" Kody asked, turning back to Sahasrahla.

"I am merely going to assist Princess Zelda. What's your plan?" He asked Kody.

Kody raised an eyebrow. "Hm." Kody mumbled and then moved over to Kayla. He got the hint. He knew what this meant. He was just surprised at the older man for his comment. Pretty cheeky for an old guy.

"What does that mean?" Kayla asked, looking between the two.

"I have to go." Kody said, looking at her. "I have to get the Master Sword and you have to train." Kody knew that they had to separate. It was time. Not that he wanted to but he had to. Had to get the Master Sword for all of their sakes.

"What, why?" Kayla asked. She turned to her friend now and looked at him directly. She knew why he had to go. She just didn't want it to be true.

"I need to get the sword." Kody said he looked down at his right hand which went back to clutching onto the handle of his sword. "I am positive that I should do this alone." He turned his eyes to her again. "I can do it by myself." He then reached out with his bandaged left hand and grasped onto her shoulder. "And you can do this by yourself."

"But what if you need my help? What if you get hurt again?" She asked and then placed her hands on his chest. It was still wrapped up in white bandages. Both ignoring the fact that he didn't have a shirt on. "You need to rest, you need to let these wounds heal." She told him. He knew that, but he had to get the sword. For the sake of everyone in Hyrule.

"I will be fine." He said, bringing his hands up to grab onto hers. Lowering them back down. He held onto her hands and looked into her sad blue eyes. "If something does happen then I am counting on you to fix me up." He smiled to let her know he would be fine.

She stared at him for a little bit. Trying to decide if she would let him go or not. But if she didn't let him go, she knew he would go anyway. He had to fulfill his destiny. Just like she may have to one day.

"You have to promise." She finally whispered.

"I promise." Kody said without hesitation. "I promise I will return." He said again. "And this time I will have the Master Sword." Then he brought up his right hand and lifted up her chin. "Just make sure you finish your training." He said smiling.

"I promise too." She said, smiling now. A genuine smile. Then she reached out and pulled him into a hug. Wrapping her arms around and crushing him to her. Kody wasn't going to voice that this was hurting his shoulder a lot. He simply just wrapped his arms around her too. She didn't want to let him go. Again. Her hands rubbed up and down his back. Comforting him in the slightest. Kody closed his eyes and sighed. Knowing that he will miss her for however amount of time he will be gone.

"I'll be back." Kody told her. Then he let go but she still held on. Kody opened his eyes and looked from side to side. "Um… Kayla?" He asked.

"Do I have to let go?" She asked him.

"If you want me to come back, then yes."

"But if I don't let go then you won't leave." She said back.

"Kayla." He reached behind his back and grabbed her arms. He pulled them off her and set them by her sides. She looked down as he did so. "It's only for a little bit." He said. When she went to look back at him he turned away.

He didn't want to look into her eyes again. She might make him stay by just a look. He didn't want to take that chance. So he turned and walked away. Moving towards the door. Knowing that he probably hurt her feelings he still had to leave. He would mend their relationship when he got back. But for their sake, and Hyrule's he had to leave now.

"Protect her." He told Sahasrahla.

Kody pushed open the doors and walked out of the temple, feeling Kayla's eyes on him the entire time.

Stopping, Kody looked at the doors again. Knowing what he was leaving behind for a while. He moved and looked at the wolf on the ground still. Currently the wolf was looking up at Epona who was staring back at the predator. Kody knelt down in front of the wolf and began to pet its head. "I want you to stay here." He told the wolf as he scratched above its ear. "Stay with Kayla." The wolf tilted its head but Kody knew it understood.

He stood back up and then moved back over to Epona. He placed his bow and shield on the side of the saddle and then opened up the leather pack on the side. He reached in and grabbed his newly reformed armor. He took the green chainmail and put it on, letting it fall over his wounded body. Once he had his armor on he jumped on to the saddle. Pulling back on the reins to turn towards the Lost Woods, just north of the temple.

Kody didn't have the map. A voice inside him told him that he didn't need it. That he could find his own way through the Lost Woods. That he needed to face whatever was in the Lost Woods. All the trials in order to gain the Master Sword.

* * *

"This side clear! Move up!" An officer shouted. These men were in Ganondorf's army, moving through the streets. Clearing out the buildings to make sure there were no pockets of resistance.

Ganondorf's forces have taken most of the city in two days. But they were struggling to hold their own while pushing forward. So some of their military had been redirected to do street sweeps through the city. Killing almost anyone who was out in the streets. Most civilians had fled the city but some were still trapped and helpless.

The street they were on was lined with small businesses, most were only one story. But there were a few that were two story and one restaurant that was three stories. The group of military numbered 14 along with a black truck which the officer was in.

"Clear that shop!" The officer pointed out the building to his right. Seven men ran towards it. The first one went to kick open the door. As he did there was a faint ting sound and the other men stopped. The one in the front looked up as the doorway exploded.

All the other men dropped to the ground or ran for cover. The officer ducked down and reached for his sidearm. He heard gunfire come from all around before sticking his head out again. "Fire back!" He called out.

He watched as two of his men immediately fell down, dead. Bullet holes in their heads. Behind him three more fell down after gunfire came all around them. Two were still on the ground, suffering from the explosion and shrapnel hitting them.

The officer struggled to get command of his men. He gave up watching another one of his men fall to the ground. He went to put his vehicle into drive went a rocket came from the top of a building and hit his car.

The explosions and gunfire soon subsided. Leaving the street eerily quiet.

"Clear!" A voice called out.

"Clear."

Micah stepped out from a busted glass window, holding an automatic weapon in his hands. He had a dark black coat on and a belt of ammo across his chest. He dropped the magazine out from his weapon and loaded another one. "That went well." He mumbled and walked over to the still burning truck.

"As well as planned." Talon said. He came out from a different building, having been up on the second floor. He had a large rifle with scope on it in one hand and a pistol in the other. "That grenade thing was a good plan."

"Told you so!" Richard, who was on top of the roof of one of the taller buildings, called out. Near him was a grenade launcher and a giant box of ammo. Currently he held on to a large rifle that had a scope. "It was better than just jumping out and shooting like last time!" He yelled at them below.

"You weren't the one who got hit because of that." Talon noted and looked at the wound he had on his left arm. "But you are right."

"What!?" Richard called out, clearly not hearing him.

"He said shut up!" Micah called out. He reached up at the door on the passenger side and pulled the handle. In doing so the door fell down on the ground. Micah watched it fall down then shrugged. He then reached into the back of the truck, pulling out two boxes of ammunition and several weapons. Once he finished he looked to see a laptop.

Micah reached out and took it. He could see that it was damaged from the explosion as well. He still took it and then stepped away from the burning vehicle. A shot rang out and he looked up to see Talon standing over another soldier.

"Are you done?" He asked the older man.

"Yeah all done." He then walked over to Micah. "That was in there?" He asked.

"It seems to be broken." Micah said nodding. "But," he then looked up to see Richard. "Richard! Is there anyone coming?"

Richard looked through his scope to see if anyone was coming to their skirmish. "No we're good!"

"Then get down here! Take a look at this!" He called out.

Richard came down and Micah handed over the laptop as Talon pulled around their vehicle to load up the supplies. "Well you broke the screen." Richard said as he looked at it.

"You were the one that shot the rocket." Micah said blankly.

"But I think the hard drive is intact." Richard said ignoring him. "When we get back I can see what's on it." He said.

"Well then let's go." Micah said as he grabbed three large rifles and moved to the truck. Richard grabbed his weapon and followed him as well.

Another raid gone successful. But Micah doubted they were even putting a dent into Ganondorf's forces.

* * *

"Magic comes from the soul." Sahasrahla said. Kayla was sitting outside the temple with the old man. She was in a meditation pose, concentrating. Or at least trying to. "It comes from a need, not a want."

"How does that make sense?" Kayla asked, looking up at him. He was standing over to the side of her. Looking down at her while coaching her.

"If you want to use magic, it hardly goes in your favor. You have to need to use magic. From any situation or occasion." Sahasrahla said. "The need comes from the pure heart. And it enhances magic, causing it to be far powerful. When using it for a desire it is less powerful."

"Which is why I am usually the strongest one?" Kayla asked.

"Exactly." He gave her a nod and then turned to look at the forest in front of them. "Your pure heart is why you were chosen by the Goddesses in the first place. Being chosen gives you more power as well."

"What good is it if I can't use it?" Kayla asked, throwing up her hands and standing up. She brushed off the back of her jeans which had dirt on them. "I haven't been able to actually use magic in a year. Mary and I had read over the books and tried, but I can't even use magic!"

"You haven't unlocked your Triforce yet." Sahasrahla said as if it were simple.

"But it is unlocked, see?" She held up the back of her left hand, which had her golden tattoo. "It's been unlocked for over a year. And yet nothing." She turned around and kicked a rock near her foot. "Mary can do magic and I can't. And I am supposed to be the best."

"You speak of Link's sister?"

"Yes." Kayla turned and looked over the vast forest. "A year ago we both displayed the ability to use magic. After the fight with Ganondorf we tried to duplicate what we did and only Mary could do spells and magic again. Even though I read and studied all the books with her I couldn't do it." She dropped her head down. "I couldn't even use the healing spell to help Kody."

"What situation were you in when you used magic?" Sahasrahla asked her.

"Well when Kody was fighting Ganondorf. And then after that. I healed him because I think he was dying."

"What were you thinking in those situations?" He asked her.

"That I had to help Kody." She said, then looked at him again. "Wait…"

"Your need to help Link is what gained you the ability to use the magic. However brief it was." He explained and then walked over to her. "But you didn't unlock the magic fully." He then reached out and took her left hand in both her hands. "Because you did not have the need to."

"What do you mean?"

"The need to save Link helped you tap into that magic. Now, you have to have the need to unlock the magic."

"But what is that need? You haven't said that yet."

He didn't speak at first. Instead she felt her left hand grow warm and she looked down to see that her hand began to glow in between his. A small white glow came from his hands and circled hers.

"To become the one your people need."

He let go of her hand and she held it up. The Golden symbol now glowed brightly. She flipped her hand back and forth, looking at the symbol. "What did you do?" She asked.

"I helped bring out the Triforce. It only comes out when you need it to. But I have brought it out this time, to help you harness the ability." He said and then stepped back from her. "Now, what magic have you done before?"

"I healed Kody." She said.

"Excellent. Demonstrate." Sahasrahla said to her.

Kayla then looked all around her. Seeing who he could be possibly talking about healing. Then she looked back at him. "On myself?" She asked.

"There is no one else." He said with a smile.

Kayla frowned at him. He was asking her to heal herself. A spell she had not used and did not know how to use. "Alright." She mumbled. Kayla looked down at her wound on her right side. She placed her left hand over the wound and let it sit there.

Even though the golden Triforce symbol on her hand was glowing, it still did not heal her wound. After several seconds she looked up at the man impatiently. "Is something supposed to happen?" She asked.

"Think back, to what you were feeling when you healed Link." He told her softly.

Kayla blinked as he said this. What was she feeling when she healed Kody? He had passed out from his wounds. Then she grabbed onto him, with tears in her eyes and blood on her hands. Pulling his unconscious body to her and crying out loud. She wished and prayed for him to be alright. Wanting to do something. That's when her hands began to glow white. She gasped as she saw that her hands got brighter. Then the miracle happened. That his wounds were slowly going away. They didn't heal entirely but the ones that were worse were closed up. When he got to the hospital the doctors couldn't explain how he was still alive.

The feeling of helplessness. That's what it was. The desire to help him even if she didn't know how.

That's when her hand began to glow. She looked, shocked, as her left hand glowed over her wound. Within moments her side didn't ache anymore. It felt, complete. Like the hole in her was gone. Kayla removed her left hand and then lifted up the bandages with her right hand. She looked to see a small red line where her wound used to be. It had been healed.

"Now you are learning." Sahasrahla said with a grin.

* * *

 _One week later,_

"We have to get this information to Kayla's father." Kari told the others.

"We won't be able to get through Ganondorf's lines. He has fortified his positions all around the capital." Talon said.

"If there was a chance we would have to sneak in." Mary spoke up.

"There is no way to sneak in through the lines and make it to the capital. Even if he is still alive we cannot beat the defenses." Micah sighed.

The group was standing in Micah's front room. The past week they had been conducting raiding parties on small groups of Ganondorf's men. Micah's neighborhood had turned into a sanctuary with people they had saved and helped. Men and women guarded the streets and they had been relatively left alone. In the far suburbs of their area they were safe. The group managed to bring numbers to their aid. The people that they had saved reached near two hundred.

They became the unanimous leaders of this ragtag team. Talon was the leader with the two kids at his side, Micah and Richard. Mary became moral support for the children and Kari became the head of distribution, making sure everyone had enough to survive the terrible war. The group was the strength of this new army and they knew it.

The laptop that they had taken a week ago finally gave them information. On it they saw that Ganondorf was losing supplies at an alarming rate. If he could not get more than all of his men would be unsupplied to finish this war. Along with that they were planning on moving half of the forces they had left to the south, to counter the incoming Hylian reinforcements. Leaving them weakened at the front where the Security Forces were currently fighting them. This was a giant opening. And they needed to get word to Kayla's father so he could act.

Richard was sitting at a computer they managed to… borrow. He had connected it to the broken enemy laptop and was downloading the information to a small external drive. Micah was next to him, looking at the large map of the city they hung on the wall at the front of the room. Talon was standing in front of it as well. They mapped out all the known locations of Ganondorf's men and areas they knew were safe. On the map was the middle of the city, the capital, completely surrounded by outlines of Ganondorf's forces.

Mary was sitting on the couch, looking at the map as well. Kari was next to Micah looking over Richard's shoulder at the data that was being displayed on his computer. She turned to look over at the other teen.

They had not spoken about what happened between them over a week ago. And it was driving her crazy. How could he just let something like that go? He just pretended like it never happened. Was she that forgettable?

He angered her. Frustrated her. And because of that she was more interested in why he did so. Micah was normally the quiet straight forward one. So if he didn't speak on it then it meant he didn't think much of it. Which confused her to no end.

"But there must be a way." Kari was pulled from her musings as Mary spoke. She turned to look at the younger girl. "This could be what ends the war."

"She's right." Richard said as he scrolled through all the documents. "We won't get another shot. And with the reinforcements coming to the city we have to act on this quickly."

"There is no way that I can see." Talon said shaking his head. "We run the risk of getting killed or worse. Getting captured. Then we would put everyone here at jeopardy."

"War is about risks." Kari said. She stood up straight and looked at them all. "We have to risk a chance sometimes in order to win. And sometimes you lose in a gamble. That's why they call it a gamble."

"But the loss is cons outweigh the pros in this situation." Micah said to her.

"How? This is the key to winning the war!" Kari shot back.

"At what cost?" Micah took a step towards her. His eyes glaring into her. "Me? You? Mary? We can't trust anyone else with this information so it would have to be one of us to go. And then if we lose this gamble? Then one of us is lost forever."

He did have a point. One of them would have to personally get the information to Kayla's father. And if they didn't make it… then the group would lose another.

"We have to try." Mary said quietly.

"No." Talon turned around and looked at all of them. "We cannot. With everything at stake here we can't risk it." He then turned to Richard. "Make sure that the laptop is destroyed. No one will be risking their life for this information." He then turned and walked out. Going outside to attend to other matters.

Kari watched him go. When he was gone she turned back to Micah. His gaze had softened but she knew he was still firm on his reasons. And she understood those reasons. Losing one of them would be worse than keeping the war going for a few months. "I'm sorry but he's right." Micah then lowered his eyes and walked out of the room. She knew he lowered his eyes because of the choice he made. And he wasn't sure it was the right one.

Kari clenched her teeth and looked at the ground. "Damn him." She said quietly. He made her question her own judgement. And she hated that.

"So is everyone else in agreement to take this information to Kayla's father?" Kari turned to look at Mary who said this. She looked at her and Richard.

"Yes, it's very important. More than anyone of us. It could save thousands of lives." Richard said nodding his head.

"We have to do this." Kari agreed. "I haven't done anything in this conflict so far and I want to do something. But it's more than that. Richard is right, it's bigger than any one of us." She hadn't been able to fight or help for the past week due to her leg injury. But it was fully healed now and she was back to normal.

"Then we agree?" Mary asks again.

"I think we do." Richard said as he removed the small computer drive containing the information.

They took a small pack of water and some ammo. Richard and Kari each took a pistol with them and they snuck out, moving into the city with the sun still in the sky. They got past their own guards down the road from the suburbs and moved into the city. There they met little hindrance to their plan.

"It's been a week already and they're not back yet." Mary said as the three walked down the road.

"We knew it would take them a while." Kari said. They kept a calm pace, moving down the street as if everything were fine.

"Yes, but how long?" Richard asked. There was no one else walking through the city at the moment. Since by now everyone had evacuated.

"As long as they take." Kari shrugged. She was dressed in a long white shirt that had some girly design on it and a pair of red shorts.

"And if they take too long?" Richard asked.

"Then we hold out as long as we can." Mary said.

They turned the corner and moved to the main street that lead right down the middle straight to the capital. The street with the most combat and hostiles. But for now it was quiet.

"But this whole Master Sword thing. Is it true?" Kari asked.

"What?"

"That the Master Sword is the only thing that can kill Ganondorf?" She asked again.

"That's what all the legends say." Mary said. "But in some stories he was imprisoned. Trapped in suspension. Whatever that means."

"So, there are other ways to get rid of him?" Richard asked.

"I suppose. But it requires a lot of magic and the ability to control it. Something I don't have. And something Kayla doesn't have either."

"Then we need that sword." Richard concluded.

"Exactly. That's what makes things so difficult. Because we can't really do anything to Ganondorf himself. Only Kody can." Mary explained.

"How so?"

"Well, he's the only one who can wield the Master Sword."

"You left that bit out before."

"So what you are saying is, that if Kody dies then we have no possible hope to defeat Ganondorf?" Kari asked.

"…" Mary looked up with a questioning look on her face. She seemed to be looking as if the sky would give her an answer to this puzzling question. "Huh, I guess that's correct."

"Then what have we been doing!?" Kari asked throwing her hands up. "We've been so concerned about protecting Kayla and the city that we forgot the most important fact! Kody is the key to all of this. We should be out protecting him."

"She makes a good point." Richard said, looking between the two.

Mary shook her head. "I'm not worried about my brother. You saw what happened last year. He suffered through enough to kill any ordinary man ten times over. And he was only twelve. Now, he has training and experience. Kody doesn't need us to defend him. We need him to defend us."

"You say that but the fact remains that if Kody goes we all go." Kari realized.

"That won't happen." Richard said with a laugh. "Trust me, I've been around Kody enough to know." Richard reached down and picked up a pistol that was laying in the street gutter along with dried blood around the sidewalk. He took it in his hand and inspected it. "He's the type of guy to survive the horror movie and kill the invincible monster at the end. If I were to guess who would outlive us all, it would be him." Richard ejected the clip and saw there were several bullets left in it. He kept the clip and then threw the pistol back into the street.

"I believe that." Mary said laughing a little bit.

Kari rolled her eyes. She didn't know Kody as well as they did but it did make some sense. Kody was an indestructible piece of metal. She saw what he took that day at the tower and she saw him get up every single time to continue fighting. If there was anyone she could count on surviving this whole thing, it would be him.

The three kept walking as the sun went down. They had to make it over a mile before they got to the hostile part of the city. Then they had to rely on their wits and stealth. Something that they were unsure of, but knew they had to do.

As the sun set in the west they got close to the back of Ganondorf's armies. Richard moved to the front as they entered a concrete building that had the roof caved in. They went to the back and made sure they weren't seen.

There Mary pulled out a map and Kari produced a flashlight from the pack. They held it up and looked at it. "Okay, where are here. At the factory. The capital is here." Mary said pointing to the large building. "There is a quarter mile between us and a lot of bad guys."

Richard adjusted the light, needing it for the dark room they were in. "The large roads will be impossible. So while passing through the buildings." He said.

"There is a way to get through." Kari explained pointing just south of the capital building. "A tunnel exit for emergencies. I don't know if they found it but it will be our best chance."

"We'll still have to reach it." Richard said.

"There's a private road. Used by emergency vehicles only. It's small and hidden between the large buildings over here." Kari indicated on the map. "My guess is that the Security Forces will most likely have it more heavily guarded and we are less likely to find Ganondorf's men there."

"And if not?" Richard asked.

"What choice do we have?" Mary said as she folded up the map and put it away. "We have to get through."

The two agreed and they moved through the building. The exited and made their way down a side path, taking it to the next road. This road led them close to the route they wanted to take but they were blocked off by the large buildings in their way. They found a fire escape on the back of one of the buildings and made their way to it.

Kari handed the pack to Richard and tucked her pistol in the front of her shorts. They let Mary go up first and then Kari followed with Richard in the back. They were making their way up when Kari looked down to see that Richard had stopped. She followed his eyes and then glared at him hotly.

"Are you staring at my ass!?" She yelled at him.

"What!? N-no…" His eyes darted away and then went back.

Kari huffed and went back to climbing. "Boys." She grumbled.

'I wonder if Micah stares at my ass? Kari, shut up!' She screamed to herself.

Mary laughed at them but then told them to be quiet as they were in enemy territory now. They made their way up and then onto the roof. They couldn't find a way down so they went across the roof of the building. They came close to the end of it when Mary said for them to get down.

The three ducked down behind the wall on the roof. Kari peeked over to see a convoy of Ganondorf's men moving down the road they intended to use. There were at least 30 men as well as two trucks.

"Well, we're not going that way." Richard said. He took out his pistol and held it in his hand for safety.

Kari nodded and looked over the wall again. "We can jump down to the next roof. It looks like we can move along to the next couple of rooftops."

"Then what?" Mary asked.

"Then… I don't know. But it's something." Kari said.

"Alright, wait until they passed."

The three saw the patrol move on down the road. Once they were far enough away they stood up, looking down at the ten foot drop. Kari was the first to sit on top of the short wall. The other two joined her and they looked at the fall.

"Are you sure about this?" Mary asked her.

"Nope." And with that Kari jumped down. Her feet hit the ground and she ducked and rolled forward. She rolled onto her feet and then fell forward. She turned her head back to see the other two coming down as well. Richard hit the ground and crumbled beneath the fall. Mary, however, hit the ground and stumbled a bit but stayed upright.

"Show off." Kari mumbled, rolling her eyes. She got to her feet and Richard did as well. They ran forward, making their way across the rooftop. The next rooftop was slightly higher than the one they were on so they had to climb up.

"After that rooftop there is a gap. But then we'll be right next to where the entrance to the tunnel should be." Kari said, pointing to the next rooftop.

"But how do we get down?" Richard asked. "I'm not jumping again."

They all stopped running immediately. Directly to their left were two men, standing on the roof casually, taking a smoke. From their armor Kari knew they were Ganondorf's men. They both had large rifles in their empty hands. The two men looked up as the kids stopped.

"Hey!" One shouted. The men threw down their cigarettes and went for their weapons.

"Run!" Kari said as she pulled her pistol out from her shorts. The three sprinted toward the wall and reached it. Richard turned around and aimed his pistol at the two running towards them. One of the men was on his radio, calling for assistance no doubt.

"Get over the wall!" Richard yelled as he started firing his weapon.

"Time to go Mary." Kari said as she grabbed Mary and helped her up. The younger girl grabbed on and pulled herself up, climbing over. Kari then jumped and grabbed onto the top. She hoped she was strong enough as she started to pull herself up. It was slow and she could hear the guards shooting back at them. A bullet flew by her and hit near her arm. She gasped but kept pulling her body up.

She stopped when she felt hands on her. On her backside particularly. She looked down to see Richard pushing her from behind. "Richard!" She yelled at the boy.

"Hit me for this later!" He yelled back. Giving her a hand he helped push her up over the wall.

'I will hit him later!' She thought. But that was for later.

For now she turned around and reached her hand out. Richard jumped up and grabbed onto her hand and the wall with his other hand. He pulled up and then came over the top.

"Thank you." He breathed out as he sat up. Kari sat up and then smiled a little bit. Then she tightened her left hand into a fist and cocked it back. She hit him on the left cheek and he fell onto his back.

"Don't touch my ass ever again." She warned him.

Richard groaned and sat up again. He was about to say something but Mary ran over to them and pulled on Kari. "We have to go!" She yelled. Another gunshot followed and they looked to see a man on the roof they were on. He had a pistol and pointed it at them.

Pushing Mary out of the way, Kari grabbed onto her pistol that she had set on the ground in front of her. Kari held up her pistol and fired two shots. She watched the man grip onto the left side of his chest and he stumbled backwards. Seconds later he fell onto the ground.

Kari's eyes widened as her chest rose and fell. She had just shot and killed somebody. Kari looked at the weapon in her hand. The thing she used to end a life.

Kari threw the gun away from her and looked back to the man she had killed. Mary got back up and stood in front of Kari. "Are you okay?" Kody's younger sister asked.

"Yeah." She looked to Richard who was staring back at her.

"Good, let's go." Mary said, pulling on Kari. She shook herself out of her daze and got to her feet. Richard followed behind them and they started running.

Kari could hear the men behind them shouting. Probably at their reinforcements. She needed to focus. If there wasn't a fire escape at the end of the building then she needed to come up with a plan.

The door leading to the roof that they were on busted open. Kari saw several men from the corner of her eye. They were outnumbered now. She turned her attention to the roof. They were almost there.

They reached the end of the roof and looked down. Her worst fear was realized. There was no fire escape down. They were stuck.

Kari saw that it was nearly a thirty foot drop. And nothing around but cement and a trash can filled with dead bodies. Her eyes searched for something, anything. But it was no use. They were trapped.

The three turned back around to see five men running towards them. Rifles raised up and pointed towards them. They had failed. They took a gamble and they lost.

Kari refused to accept this defeat. She looked back down at the ground below and looked at the trash bin again. The dead bodies of the ones that had fallen in battle were all crammed inside.

She shivered at the thought but knew it would work. It had to. She turned to Richard, seeing that he had the backpack on still. He had the hard drive with him. There was no time to try and choose Mary instead. The guards were almost on them. It was now or never.

She grabbed onto Richard roughly, making him face her. "Finish the mission." She said quietly. He looked shocked and confused but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Kari grabbed onto him with both hands and threw him off the roof.

* * *

Fin.

A/N: So this was a little hard for me to write because after the fast pace of the last few chapters I had to write a little dry one. But it picked up in the end and now I leave you at a cliffhanger. The influence for that end was the first episode of the second season of Daredevil. When Punisher shot him and Daredevil goes tumbling off the roof and then the credits rolled. Just imagine that for the closing scene and it will help. That's what I saw in my mind.

And the time jump will be affecting all characters in the next chapter. We may or may not see Kayla in the next chapter but we have to get back to Kody. Hopefully he made some progress in a week. And what will the others do in the wake of losing Kari and Mary? What will be the girls' fate? As well as Richard? So many things happening, no?

Please leave a review telling me what you think of the story thus far!


	9. Final Test

A/N: Chapter 9 my people and this one is quite… well, you'll see. So, lot's of bad things happened last chapter. Well, you guys don't really know do you? I kinda left it at a cliff hanger. With that being said let's just get right into it!

Final Test

 _Earlier that day…_

"You would think I would have brought the map." Kody mumbled to Epona. "They call it the Lost Woods for a reason." He complained to himself.

After venturing in said Lost Woods for a week Kody was positive, he was lost. He had wandered through the entire forest for seven days. And now he was sure he was lost. In the Lost Woods. Ironic, no?

"So should we go east?" Kody asked Epona. At this moment he was walking in front of Epona, guiding her as they walked. He pulled her to his right, indicating east.

"Or is that east?" He said turning to his left. Epona huffed her disappointment. "There is no sun in here, I can't tell." Kody groaned to her. With the giant trees and constant fog he could not see the sun every single day. He couldn't even tell when it was night.

Epona huffed and shook her mane. Kody rolled his eyes. "Right sure, left it is." He said and they moved left.

Even though they were lost in the woods for a week they did have enough to survive. There was plenty of food. Berries, fruits, vegetables and such. Along with some small wildlife that Kody had hunted with his bow. There were many small streams in the woods as well.

Trying to assist with their direction Kody had mapped out the many streams along their journey. He hoped they would help him find the way but it was not very successful. Days later he realized that the Lost Woods got its name for a reason.

"I know not taking the map was stupid but I had a gut feeling." He told Epona. A week alone would have you talking to a horse as well. "That I wouldn't need it."

He sighed as they came to another stream. He looked up and down, searching for one of his markers as he let Epona lean down and drink her fill.

"I know you must think I am stupid but you haven't been much help." Kody said as he walked along the stream. "You have no sense of direction as well." He said. He came up to an arrow in the ground and pulled it out. One of his markers. There were four cuts in the shaft of the arrow, signaling that this was the fourth arrow he had put down. "Well we're back to where we were three days ago." Kody said and then stabbed it back into the ground.

He turned to look ahead and stopped. His eyes narrowed as he observed a rock some twenty feet from his arrow. Kody walked over to the rock and reached out towards it. He picked up the large gray stone and flipped it over in his hand.

"Moss." He breathed out. Kody looked up in the direction that it was growing. Moss grows north. For the first time in days Kody had a direction. He stood up straight and looked forward. North was the general direction he needed to go in.

"Epona." He called the horse. She looked up and then walked over to his side. "What do you think, north?" He asked her.

Epona just turned her head to him. Kody took that as a yes. He smiled and patted her. Taking her reins and pulling her along. They followed the stream, heading north. Kody didn't recognize anything. Then again he didn't recognize anything in these woods.

They kept going along the stream until it disappeared underneath a collection of rocks that seemed to go underneath a hill. Kody saw this and released Epona.

"Stay here girl." He told her as he took his bow and three arrows from her saddle. "I'm going scout ahead." He told her.

Kody walked up the muddy hill, slipping slightly on his way up. As he reached the top of the hill he stabbed an arrow into the ground. To make sure he could find his way back. He walked along, keeping the bow in his left hand and the arrows in his right.

Atop the hill he saw more of the same. Dark and murky, making things look abysmal. Kody took a step forward and noted that the terrain was different. The ground was flat and the air was thick. Kody felt the heavy air from the condensed foliage. But it felt different in this area. There was something powerful happening. He could tell.

Turning around sharply at the sound of movement Kody pulled up his weapon. He had his arrow pulled back as he aimed at the noise. His eyes widened at the sight.

A bright light was emanating from a pair of trees. Kody lowered his bow as he looked at the light. It was white, it was golden. The light grew brighter for a moment before it faded back past the trees.

Kody didn't think twice as he ran after it. Squeezing between the two trees and running after the fading light. The light went straight back, passing through the brush and trees. He went pretty far and stabbed another arrow into the ground. Making sure he could find his way back.

Kody broke into a run as the light got farther and farther away. He jumped over a fallen tree and then got into a small clearing. He stabbed the final arrow into the ground and followed the light as it went back into the denser part of the forest.

He moved past tree branches and then stopped. The light was gone. Kody found himself alone in a small area lined with trees. There was a large tree stump in the middle and a black pack laying next to it. There was silence, the only noise being Kody's heavy breathing after running.

The pack lying there stood out for Kody. It wasn't old and didn't look to have been there for a long time. Meaning that someone put it there. Someone who intends to return to it.

Kody found it hard to believe that someone else was there with him. How could they have made it in here? And survive? Who would be here in the Lost Woods? Many questions but the woods provided few answers.

"And so the Hero arrives." Kody turned his head to the left and his right hand grabbed onto the hilt of his sword. The chain on the end of it clinked against the hilt as his hand tightened. He recognized the voice.

"You survived." Kody said looking at the man that stood before him.

"You let me go." Dressed in all white robes stood Lionel. The blind agent that worked for Ganondorf in the last battle a year ago. Kody had defeated him, through a lengthy battle involving a lot of magic that he had to battle against. Kody struggled but won. He even took Lionel's left arm. And Kody let him go. For he didn't want to kill a defenseless man.

"I did. I have no intention of being a murderer." Kody told him. He could see that Lionel was not wearing cloth over his eyes and that the left arm of his robe was empty.

"Yes, a wise choice. But that choice has left you unable to accept your destiny." Lionel said.

"What do you mean?" Kody still had his hand on his weapon. Seeing that they met as enemies last time.

"You are a fighter. A warrior. And warriors kill. You cannot be the Hero if you cannot kill your enemies. You have to accept that." Lionel told him.

"So you're here to lecture me about that too?" Kody said with a frown.

"You have a destiny. As do I." Lionel them pulled his right arm back to show that he had a large silver sword at his side. "I survived for a reason. I traveled for months. Seeking answers. And answers I found." He walked forward and placed his right hand on his weapon as well. "I am still alive to find redemption. And that redemption is to help you face your final test."

"Which is killing you?"

"You must." Lionel said taking a step forward. "Or I will kill you." He unsheathed his weapon and held it up. "Or you will die and everyone you are supposed to protect will die."

Kody clenched onto his sword harder and tossed the bow in his left hand behind him. He pulled out his sword and held it in front of him. Not wanting to kill the other man just because he had to and not willing to let Lionel kill him. He was pushed in the middle of tough decisions. Knowing full well that Lionel was not about to let him escape this situation.

Kody saw what this was. It was his official start to his true journey. In order to rightfully achieve his place as hero. He had to learn to let go of his fears and the inability to kill. He had to come to terms with this part of himself. And for some reason Lionel wanted to die again.

Maybe it was because Kody had handed his life back to him in the first place. Or maybe because he had never wanted to be alive. Being forced and tortured into servitude like he had been certainly would put a damper on your outlook of life. But Kody knew that Lionel wasn't suicidal. He had some sort of code of honor. All men did. Kody could tell that Lionel had respect for him. Sparing one's life would do that.

Kody came to the conclusion that this had to be a message from the Goddesses. And one delivered by Lionel's own will. So Kody had to do this. He had to fight and kill Lionel.

He knew this was the truth of the matter. But going through with it was another matter entirely. Having to push himself to the point. The point of no return.

He had already had his training. He had met his enemy again. He was on his way to retrieve the Master Sword. He just needed to fully embrace his destiny. That he had to kill in order to protect the ones he loved and cared for. Not senseless killing, but for the safety and care of those around him.

For some reason he could not do it yet. But now he had to. Somehow.

"You want me to kill you?" Kody asked the other man.

"I don't want you to kill me. You need to." Lionel said. His unfocused pale eyes, searching around the area. Even though he couldn't see Kody his eyes still turned to him.

"Why do you want to die?" Kody asked, his voice betraying his composure. He spoke softly. His sympathy for this poor man becoming ever more evident. Kody felt sorry for Lionel more than anything else.

"I never had a purpose." Lionel spoke, looking towards the ground. His weapon wavered and lowered to the ground. His eyes turned back up, focusing on a point to Kody's right. "Until I met you. The Hero of Time. You have given my life a purpose." His sword came back up to point at Kody. The young boy could see a stream of water come from Lionel's eye. "And I can't thank you enough for that."

Kody felt sorrow in this moment. He could see almost a mirror reflection in this man. What his life would have turned out to be if he didn't have Kayla. Nothing but a cast away taken in by someone who just used him for his ability. Never having love or care from others in his life. This is what his life could have been.

"You are an honorable man Lionel." Kody said taking out his sword. His eyes and voice were filled with sincerity for the man. A small smile came to his lips as he said this. The chain on his hilt clinked against the guard as he held up his weapon.

Lionel smiled as well as they were to being their duel. "As are you Hero."

They had both accepted this fate. Lionel had accepted his death to further the purpose of good. And Kody… maybe he could accept his true purpose. Maybe…

Kody's eyes narrowed at Lionel now. His smile fading away as he looked at his opponent. He left his shield on Epona so now he had to fight with only a sword.

Good thing that was how Uncle Ben had taught him how to fight.

They both began to circle around. Neither giving up an inch as they faced each other and walked sideways. The peaceful sounds of the forest were mixed with the metal clanging of the chain on Kody's sword. Both were waiting for the other to attack.

After training for over a week on defensive fighting, Kody had to remember how to go on the offensive. Which, according to his uncle, was the easy part of fighting. Now, it was time to test such logic.

Kody stepped forward and swung his sword towards Lionel. The blind man blocked it easily. Kody could tell that he didn't lose any skill despite losing an arm. Lionel swung back and Kody blocked it.

Stepping back, Kody gripped his weapon with two hands now. Not having his shield would mean that he had to focus more on dodging rather than blocking. Lionel stepped towards him but didn't attack. So Kody attacked instead. He slashed up high and his opponent spun around it instead of blocking it. That's when Kody saw the blade coming for his chest.

He planted his left foot in the ground and pushed back as quick as he could. The blade went barely past him, scratching on the metal of his tunic. Kody slid on his feet and came to a stop. He saw Lionel spin around and come at him with a strike aimed at his middle. Kody brought his sword up directly in front of him, blocking the strike.

Kody swung his sword around and stepped forward, going for the strike. The open defense in his opponent was the target.

In hindsight, he should have known it wouldn't be so easy. As he came forward Lionel leaned to the side and Kody's sword went by him. But Lionel held his sword up as well as Kody came forward. He couldn't stop his momentum. He went right into the waiting sword.

Normally this was the part where the hero got a major wound and would seemingly lose the fight only to win by sheer luck just at the point where things seemed hopeless.

But that was not this time. Kody was not untrained trying to luck his way out of a fight. He was a trained warrior now. He was becoming Link the Hero once again.

Kody reached around his back and grabbed the boomerang from his belt and hooked it around Lionel's sword. He pulled the blade away from his body and then took another step forward so that he was only inches away from his opponent.

Kody's eyes narrowed as he pulled his sword around, which was now behind the back of Lionel. From behind he plunged the blade through Lionel's back.

The sound echoed in their little arena. The sound of metal going through flesh. Kody still held onto the hilt as the guard of his sword hit the back of Lionel. The blade going all the way into him.

Kody's face relaxed as it ended. He had done it. He knew it was a fatal wound from where he put the sword. Kody's wide eyes looked down at the silver blade that was coming out of Lionel's body. It was just to the side of his own body, nearly impaling himself on his own attack.

Lionel gasped out and then dropped his sword. It hit the ground as he slowly became limp. Kody dropped his boomerang and grabbed onto Lionel's body. Easing him to the ground and making sure that his back didn't hit the ground.

"I'm sorry." Kody whispered. His face was twisted in sadness. Despite having done what he had to do, it was still not easy to accept the fate.

"Don't be." Lionel said. "You have saved me." He looked up with pale eyes to the sky. "I have fulfilled my purpose, now may the Goddesses take me home." He said. A smile fell across his lips. Then he gasped out one final time and his hand fell to the ground.

Kody watched the life leave the man. The life that he took. Kody dipped his head down. His right hand came up and touched the forehead of the dead man.

"I'm not sure I am doing this right." He spoke, now alone. "But, if you can hear me, please. Forgive this man for any wrong doings he has done." Kody said to the Goddesses. "Please take him into your arms, let him be at peace."

Kody then looked up at the sky. As if he were talking to the deities directly. "And forgive me, for not understanding the reason behind all this. I know what I must do. And I don't know if I understand all of it yet. But I will do what I must to save Hyrule and everyone in it."

Minutes passed as Kody removed his sword from Lionel's body and then proceeded to bury him. Once he finished he placed a large stone to mark the grave. Kody stood there, leaning on his sword that was in the ground. He looked sadly down at the grave he had just made.

"And so it begins." Kody said. Then he looked up. "Without the Master Sword." He finished with a frown.

Then a gust of wind picked up. Passing through the opening he was in. Ahead of him the low branches of the trees flew up and revealed what was past them. Kody looked ahead to see what was past them. Light. Not like the artificial light that he had followed to find Lionel. This one was more like natural light. As if the sun had pierced through in the area ahead of him.

"Sunlight?" Kody asked. He pulled his blade from the ground and walked over towards the trees as the wind stopped.

Kody pushed the leaves away and looked past into a long narrow path of grass. At the end of the path was sunlight breaking through the Lost Woods and onto an object in the distance.

Kody's eyes widened as he stepped through…

* * *

 _Later that night…_

"I can't believe they did this." Micah shook his head. "They knew how dangerous it was."

He was sitting in the passenger seat of a black truck while Talon drove. The lights were off as they went down the backroads. Avoiding checkpoints and bad guys. The two were dressed in the black uniforms of the enemy as well. Disguising themselves as they went deep into the heart of enemy territory.

"We should have known they would have gone off." Talon said. In the middle seat between them was two automatic weapons as well as several pistols.

They were loaded up to go after the three that took off earlier. And save them if necessary.

"I didn't think that they would chance it though. It's extremely dangerous." Micah mumbled then looked out the window as they passed down the street.

"We'll find them. They couldn't have gotten too far." Talon said.

"Hopefully we find them before it's too late." Micah said.

It was quiet for the next several minutes. Micah knew that Talon was trying not to explode. His little girl was out there trying to get through enemy lines. He could understand that. Even if Talon didn't voice it, Micah knew.

He was worried as well. Richard was his closest friend, besides Kody. And he was no fighter. Micah saw it as his duty to protect his friend and fight battles for him. He saw it that way for all of them. He had gotten to know Mary more over in the past year as well. She was the kid of the group. The one they all protected and hid from the battles. She was too young to be trying to do this stuff.

And then there was Kari. The annoying popular girl in the front of the class. The one you sneak looks at but never talk to. The girl who was only around to make sarcastic remarks. She changed her role since then. She became the moral support and the voice of reason. She was priceless much like the rest of them.

There was more to her for Micah now, but he didn't give those reasons voice right now. Right now he had to focus on saving them.

"We're in range now, flip on the radio." Talon said. He wasn't talking about the car radio. He was talking about the enemy radio they had gotten. It helped them listen into for enemy movements and attacks. It had a limited range though so they had to get close to the headquarters to listen in to the main channels.

"Do you think the enemy found them?" Micah asked as he tuned the radio in.

"Just listen in for anything suspicious." Talon said.

At first the radio was just normal chatter. Troop movements, numbers count, all the normal garbage. After several minutes Talon pulled the truck to a stop. Ahead on the street was a checkpoint with bright lights and a lot of enemies.

"Well this is what they had to get through." Talon said looking ahead.

"They're smart. They would have found a way around it."

" _Squad 4 reporting in. Fighting has ceased in the east sector. Requesting reinforcements."_ The radio said.

"Everything seems quiet as well. Maybe they did get through?" Micah asked hopefully.

"They could have." Though Talon didn't sound convinced.

" _Copy. Squad 5 clear your sector then meet up with Squad 4."_

"I still can't shake the feeling that they need us." Talon said. Micah nodded in agreement. It was that gut feeling that something wasn't right. Even though it appeared to be you still knew that something was up.

"We don't know." Micah said aloud. He was still looking straight ahead at the checkpoint. Knowing that if they had to, they would go in.

" _Squad 5 confirm?"_

"They could be anywhere between here and the capital."

"They could already be at the capital." Micah told him.

"Then they would be safe." He agreed with that. The capital is the safest place in the city currently. Protected by all the Security Forces and free from enemies at the moment. But they had to reach it for that to happen.

" _Squad 5 come in over."_

Micah looked down at the radio now. Apparently squad 5 in this area was not checking in. Could that be because of their friends or another reason?

" _This is Squad 5, we have apprehended several targets on the roof. How copy?"_

"Several targets?" Talon asked.

"The roof?" Micah said.

" _Squad 5 we are not taking prisoners. Eliminate them."_

"We've gotta get over there!" Micah said as he grabbed onto a weapon. He put the clip in and pulled back on the receiver, holding it in his hands.

"Already ahead of you." Talon turned on the vehicle and drove towards the checkpoint. He grabbed a pistol from the middle and held it up as he drove straight ahead.

" _HQ, the targets are ones that Lord Ganondorf is searching for. Two girls matching the description. One boy as well. Presumably KIA."_

Talon hit the brakes and they jerked forward. "The girls?" He breathed out.

Micah heard that the boy was killed. "Richard." He whispered. Hoping that it wasn't true. That his friend wasn't dead.

"… _Roger. Escort them back to the main compound. We are informing Lord Ganondorf."_

"Shit." Talon pounded on the wheel.

"We can't just go in guns blazing." Micah said. He was trying to think. "We can still sneak in undercover." He told him, looking over at the older man. "That way we have a chance."

"But what if Ganondorf gets to the girls before we do?"

Micah knew that Talon wanted to just bust in kill everyone and grab the girls. But they would all die if they did it that way. They couldn't do that. They needed to save them.

" _Copy, requesting back up at our location."_

Micah didn't need to think twice as he reached for the radio. He pressed on the button and spoke into it. "This is several members from Squad…3?" He made up quickly. "Responding to the call."

Micah let go of the button and then prayed. "What are you doing?" Talon yelled at him.

Micah looked over towards him. "Getting us a way in."

" _Roger, proceed to Squad 5's location."_

Thanking the Goddesses for this break he responded to the radio. "Copy that." He set the radio down and then pointed ahead. "Go ahead." He told Talon.

Talon raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that would work?" He asked.

"I didn't."

* * *

"AH!" Richard gasped out. His eyes opened up as he looked at the sky. He breathed heavily as his right hand reached out desperately. He grasped onto the edge of the dumpster and then pulled himself up.

He could feel the bodies beneath him and felt foreign blood covering his clothes. He sat up and looked all around him. Sure enough he was off the roof and alive. But one thing entered his mind at the moment.

Kari had just thrown him off the roof!

Richard coughed as his lungs were trying to calm down from the fall. He brought his left arm around to try and pull himself out of the garbage can. As he did so sharp pains shot through his arm. He yelped and pulled his sore arm to his chest. His arm was probably broken.

"Damn!" Richard said to himself. The childish part of him wanted to believe that Kari did this on purpose. But the adult part of him, the part of him that was used to all this, knew better. Kari had done this so that someone would survive and accomplish the mission.

Richard had to swallow this fact. The fact that he was chosen to live while the two girls were captured. How was he the one chosen? Probably because he had been the one holding the information at the time. And he was the only one that could survive the fall.

Admitting to the situation, Richard was not brave. He usually stayed on the sideline. Proved in their many ambushes. He usually stayed away from the fore point of battles and hung around in the distance. But when presented with dire circumstances he always stepped up. And this was such a moment. Kari had chosen him to finish the mission.

For Kari and Mary, he would finish the mission. He would swallow his cowardly nature and finish the mission. For the girls. And for everyone else. Everything was left in his hands. Victory for this war.

This, he did not think too hard about.

Richard reached out and pulled himself from the dumpster. One leg went over the trash can as he heard footsteps coming towards him.

As this sound reached his ears Richard started to scramble. He rushed too hard and ended up falling out from the dumpster, hitting the ground. Pain was removed from his mind as he forced himself to scramble up to his feet, even though he was in a lot of pain. An incredibly lot of pain. Like when he got shot a year ago. But somehow this was worse. Worse than being shot. Only because he felt like he had more on his shoulders. Which he did.

And he was Richard. The technical guy. The one that usually avoided fighting.

He pushed himself to his feet and grabbed the backpack. As he turned to run to his feet two men rounded the corner of the building. They were dressed in the enemy black armor and had automatic rifles.

Richard froze in place. Despite Kari's attempts he had been caught. The mission was a failure. Looking at the barrel of the weapons his life flashed before his eyes. Seeing everything he regretted and all that he had missed out on.

And the one he thought was beautiful despite popular belief and norms…

"Richard?"

All those thoughts left him as he heard that voice. Richard looked up with wide eyes.

"Micah?"

Not even a second later the shorter man dressed in enemy armor moved forward and hugged him. Dropping the automatic weapon as he did so. It took only a few seconds for Richard to finally comprehend that it was Micah, dressed in enemy uniform, hugging him.

Richard let out a loud laugh as he wrapped his arms around his best friend. Laughing as he grasped onto him tightly, not willing to let go. "Thank you." He whispered to no one in particular as he hugged his friend.

"You survived." Micah whispered to his friend. Tightening the embrace. Richard looked up to see that the other man with them was in fact Talon. Who had lowered his rifle and smiled at the interaction.

"Well I thought I died. Kari, you know, threw me from the roof." Richard said.

"What?" Micah pushed him back and looked at his friend.

"Well yeah." Richard shrugged. "She threw me off the roof. Fortunately I landed in that dumpster. I guess she planned it. Seeing that we were surrounded and all."

"Kari and Mary, they are caught?" Talon asked as he took a step forward.

Richard gave a nod. "Yes. We were all surrounded. But Kari saw that one of us could make it. So she pushed me off the roof. And I guess they thought I was dead from the fall." He looked between the other two. "Right?" He asked them.

"Yes, they assumed you were dead." Micah said picking up his weapon again. Moving away from his friend. "But we came over. Cause I didn't think you would be gone that easy."

Richard shared a laugh with his friend. Still not believing that he had survived the fall and that his friend had been the one to find him. "I'm not hard to kill, but I refuse to die." He told them both.

"Good, cause the night isn't over yet." Talon said as he went back to look behind the corner.

Richard knew what this meant but he still had to voice the question. "What do you mean?" He asked. Looking at them both.

Micah sighed as he fixed his uniform. "We need to get the girls." He explained. "You are our ticket in to doing that."

"I'm sure that I know what you mean but I need you to explain it." This statement from Richard was true. He needed it explained to him. Even though he completely understood the situation. And, seeing the other two in enemy uniforms, understood the next part of the plan.

"We are going to use you to get in the room to save everyone."

* * *

"It's okay Mary." Kari told the younger girl.

Despite the situation and all that was going on, Kari still proved to be a pillar. A pillar of strength for the younger girl. They were both taken, by armed guards, to a large building that was empty. Save for guards, lining the entire room.

Kari knew that she had doomed both her and Mary for her actions. Throwing Richard from the roof. But she had to do it. Or else, they would all be in this room and the mission would have failed.

Kari felt bad that Mary was here with her. If she would have done it again she would have made it so that Mary was the one to escape. But this was not the case. Instead here she was, with Kari. In a room, surrounded by enemy guards. Nothing had happened so far. But they were tied down, by chains, to chairs. They were only five feet apart from each other at the moment.

Right now Mary was trying to force back sobs but some broke through. She hiccupped every so often as well. Cheeks covered in the wetness from her tears.

Kari had her own tears stains as well. While she wasn't openly sobbing like the younger girl she was crying. She didn't try to hide it either. She let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. Knowing that she was scared and unsure of what would happen. But she knew it would not end well.

They were alone, captured by the enemy. Most likely awaiting for the questioning. And… torture.

"Be strong." She whispered to Mary. "We'll get through this… together."

Mary hiccupped again and then shook her head. "I'm sorry daddy." She said.

Kari knew that the younger girl was about to give up. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do to comfort her. Besides telling her lies that they would be okay. Kari knew they would not be okay. Nothing about their current situation was okay.

"Mary you'll see him again." Kari whispered. She smiled a little and began pulling on her chains again. She had been doing that the whole time she was captured. "I promise, you'll see your dad again." Maybe the promise was in vain. But Kari was going to make a promise. That out of everyone, Mary would be the one to survive. Even if she had to die, Mary would survive.

This moment made Kari realize that she had changed. From the popular obnoxious bratty girl, to the hardened compassionate selfless friend. To everyone, she would rather put herself on the line than lose anyone. She didn't want to feel loss anymore.

But seeing as they were taken prisoner and waiting in a dark room, she knew that no one was going to die… yet.

"I… I hope t-t-that Kody m-m-makes it back." Mary stuttered. This was breaking Kari's heart. The poor girl was scared out of her mind. And there was nothing she could do to help her. Truth be told Kari was as scared as she ever was as well.

But further conversation was halted when the door in front of them opened. Kari looked up and her eyes widened. Blood running cold as a large man walked into the room. He was tall with a muscular build, dark eyes trained on the two of them that held nothing but evil.

This had to be Ganondorf.

The wind escaped Kari's lungs as the man stepped into the room, wearing an evil smirk on his face. Mary looked up as well and she let out a small cry. Ducking her head back down and sobbing openly again. Kari's own tears stopped. Out of fear from the man that walked into the room.

"Well, here they are." His voice made Kari's skin crawl. She couldn't turn her eyes from the man. He was too imposing. And plus if harm was going to come to her then she wanted to see it first. "The ragtag team of heroes." His eyes flashed between them. "Well two of them."

Kari watched him walked forward and stop in front of Mary. He knelt down before her and reached out with a gloved hand. Forcing the small girl's chin up so that he could look at her sobbing face. "The sister of the Hero I presume?" He frowned as he watched her continue to cry. "Poor girl. Tragedy strikes the good at a young age." He released her chin and Mary looked down again. "Calm yourself girl. I do not wish to hurt you."

"Stay away from her!" Kari didn't know where she got the guts for that but she screamed at him. When he turned his eyes to her Kari regretted speaking at all. Her face turned from angry to frightened. She couldn't help it.

"And you must be Kari." Ganondorf rose. "Friend of the Princess, turned poster girl of the group… I can't find any other purpose you serve at the moment."

That was a cheap shot. Kari found her resolve at being insulted. Her face hardened again and she glared at Ganondorf. "Hey it took four armed MEN to take me down and it only took a twelve year old boy to take you down. So… I'll take your word for what it's worth." She leaned forward, pulling on the chains that held her back. "Nothing!"

He glared at her hotly. Looks like she struck a nerve. Good. "That's right, you've got a mouth." Ganondorf stood up and motioned to the guard behind her. She heard movement behind her and then something came in front of her face. She saw that it was a strip of cloth. It went over her mouth and she began to struggle.

"No! No, no! N-mmf!" The guard put the cloth over her mouth and then tied it behind her head. She screamed angrily and shook in the chair. Glaring at Ganondorf and breathing heavily.

"Now that we have some silence." Kari interrupted with another muffled scream. He ignored her and continued. "I kept you alive because I need one thing." He looked down at Mary and leaned close to her head. "The map for the Master Sword."

Mary slowly looked up at Ganondorf. Kari was surprised to see that the younger girl had stopped crying. Her eyes seemed to hold some resolve as well. "My brother has it. And chances are he has already found the Master Sword."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow at her confession. Seems like he wasn't expecting her to say something like that. "Then why hasn't he returned?"

Mary didn't say anything. Instead she looked back at the ground. 'Good girl.' Kari thought. She would smile but her mouth was covered.

"I know that you've seen the map. So that will be sufficient." Ganondorf said. He turned around and went over to one of his guards and grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen. "I also know you are somewhat skilled in magic. This will help me greatly." He turned back to Mary and then motioned for another guard. The guard came around to Mary's back and unlocked several chains until her hands and arms were free but her torso and legs were still chained to the chair. "But getting you to do this for me will be challenging."

"Do what?" Mary asked in a timid voice. She brought her now free arms up to her chest and hugged onto her herself.

"Dig into your subconscious and write what you see. The map." He reached out and gave her the pen and paper. Mary looked at the two and then up at Ganondorf. She didn't take it at first. But his face twisted into a hateful glare and she was afraid. She took the pen and paper and set them in her lap. "You see," he said turning around. "I could bring my loyal soldier who is skilled in magic to do it. But then he would have to dig through your mind finding the right memory. The whole thing would probably take an entire day." He said waving his hand dismissively. "Instead." He held up a finger and turned on his heel. Pointing at Mary now. "You will do this for me willingly."

Mary gulped and looked to Kari. Kari was looking back at her with wide eyes. She silently shook her head. Begging Mary not to do it. Not to give up the location of where Kody and Kayla were.

"Ah, looking for approval from your friend?" They both turned to look at Ganondorf again. He had a wicked grin on his face. "She will give you her approval. Don't worry." He reached behind his back. Kari's eyes widened and she gulped. He pulled out a large knife that was sharpened on both sides. "I am here to make sure that happens."

Kari leaned back in her chair. Trying to push herself backwards. Ganondorf chuckled at her reaction. He then knelt down on one knee so that he was in direct eye contact with Mary. "So I will ask you now. Write. The. Map." His voice was threatening and Kari knew he could back up the threat.

Mary looked at Kari again. Her eyes were wide and scared. She was seeking permission to write the map. She was asking Kari, so that she wouldn't have to watch Kari go through any pain. Kari knew she had fear in her eyes as well. She felt the fear dripping from her.

The choice of a lifetime was here for her. Would she break? Or could she hold strong so that her friends would be safe. This choice was weighing heavy on her. Kari didn't want to go through pain. She didn't want to be subjected to torture that would probably scar her for the rest of her life. If she lived through this. But she couldn't live with herself, or die with herself, if she was the cause of one of her friends dying to this evil man.

The Kari from two years ago would have given up in a heartbeat. Then again the old Kari wouldn't be in this situation. She would probably be at home, crying in her bed.

But the new Kari knew what she had to do. She had to swallow the pain and fear. Bury it far down within her and accept what was to come. No matter how much she would hurt.

Kari knew that this was her moment.

With a shaky breath, and new tears falling down her cheeks, Kari gave one shake of her head.

Mary still stared at her, not moving. It seemed like she was having a hard time accepting Kari's choice. Kari stared at her harder, her eyes telling her to do it. Finally Mary turned back to Ganondorf.

"I… I can't." She said and then broke out in a sob. Lowering her head. Kari smiled. Or tried to. Mary was still staying strong. Despite being far more broken than Kari was currently.

"Very well." Kari heard Ganondorf say. She turned her eyes to him, expecting the pain to come from him.

Instead he nodded to the guard behind Kari. And she felt it before she saw it. The man behind her pulled out a knife and then drove it into her right leg.

Kari screamed. She leaned her body forward and screamed as hard as she could. Her eyes screwed shut and tears ran down her face. She was sure Mary was screaming as well but all Kari could hear was the pain. She could feel it, she could hear it, she could even taste it.

Jerking back, Kari shook her body. Banging her head to the back of the chair and jumping up and down as much as she could. She opened her eyes finally to see the knife lodged in her leg. It was sticking out so that some of the blade was not in her still. Blood dripped from it and down her bare leg. Some dripped back and stained her shorts, but she was worried about other things now. Like the pain shooting through her body.

Kari took a deep breath and then leaned her head forward again. Screaming once more. The burning pain didn't dissipate in the slightest. She stomped her feet on the ground and balled her hands in fists, pounding them in the chair. Trying in any way to get rid of the pain, with no success.

By now the pain had gone from her hearing and she could hear Mary yelling and screaming as well. The young girl was pleading to Ganondorf to stop the torture.

"I will stop once you give me what I want."

Kari heard that. She quickly shook herself out from the pain long enough to look over at Mary. She made muffled noises to the girl to get her attention. Once Mary looked her way Kari shook her head as fiercely as she could.

Ganondorf was watching this. "Fine then." He motioned again. Kari looked straight ahead and knew what was coming. She shook her head frantically but stopped from yelling out in protest. As much as she wanted to she couldn't stop this. The man behind her grabbed onto the knife in her leg and slowly pushed it down, more into her leg.

Kari let out a cry of anguish and slapped her head against the chair. It hurt so much! How could Kody have this happen to him and continue fighting time after time? This was unbearable.

She shook the chair as much as she could. After a few more seconds of the blinding pain of torture the man pulled the knife from her leg. She yelled out and then slumped forward. Ceasing her yelling and screaming as the pain left her. Blood trickled down her leg and onto the ground.

She breathed out shaky breaths. Her body would spasm and shook from the pain she had just went through. Even though she knew it wasn't over, it was nice to get a small reprieve.

It didn't last. The man behind her with the knife came forward again and stabbed it into her right shoulder. Again Kari screamed and threw her head back. Her body reacted, pushing forward to try and break free from the pain.

She shook her head violently. 'Goddesses, take this pain away!' She screamed harder. It was all she could do. She couldn't remove this pain from her body. But she could try and scream till her lungs burned. Maybe that would alleviate her pain.

"And like that, I am bored." Ganondorf spoke. A second later the knife was removed from her shoulder. Kari slumped down. Tears and blood fell down onto her shirt as she tried to regain her composure.

She didn't know when but Ganondorf was suddenly right in front of her. He roughly removed the gag from her mouth and tossed it aside. Kari coughed and took in full breaths. Blocking out the fact that the most evil man was standing right in front of her.

He then grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look up. Kari barred her teeth, staring up at him. "Tell the girl to draw the map." He said darkly. Then he moved the knife down and hovered over her left hand. "Or I cut your hand off."

She didn't stop the audible gasp that came from her mouth. Cut off her hand? Like, she would never get it back? Now that made her think twice on the current situation. She looked down at her left hand. Would she really give up a part of her body?

"Tell her!" He moved the knife up to her face and poked it into her cheek. She felt it and then the liquid come down her face. A small cut on her cheek. She winced at the small amount of pain but her leg and shoulder were far worse now. Kari blinked back tears as she heard Mary's protests. Hearing Mary shout and cry forced her to make her choice.

"No." Her voice didn't waiver. She said it with as much defiance as she could muster. Turning her face into anger. She would not break. She would stand for Mary.

"So be it." Ganondorf moved the knife back towards her hand.

'I'm going to miss you left hand.' Kari thought and closed her eyes.

"Stop!" Mary cried out. Kari could feel the knife on her left hand. Breaking skin and starting to move through it. Her left arm shook with fear. But as Mary cried out Kari opened her eyes and looked at the girl.

"Mary, no." She whispered. Kari had already accepted her fate. She had her one chance to prove worth to the group. And for dignity alone, she didn't want that taken away. But her body was praying for Mary to take her moment away. Kari herself was conflicted.

"I'll do it!" Mary cried. "Just please…" She said sobbing. "Stop hurting her."

Kari let out a muffled cry and lowered her head. Defeated. She had held her own but Mary was too young. Kari didn't blame the girl. In fact she thanked the girl. Saving her from losing her left hand. But through all that, maybe Kari could have held back her bravado and just let Mary draw the damn map. Maybe she could still feel her right leg.

"Good girl." Ganondorf removed the knife and Kari could stop the cry of pain from it being removed. The skin deep cut began to bleed from her left hand but it was hardly her worst wound.

"Get started." Ganondorf said as he moved to stand over the younger girl.

Mary looked back at Kari. Making sure she was okay. Kari let out another cry and then looked back at her. "It's okay." She mouthed to Mary. She gave her an approving nod this time. It was a tough thing. To sit there and watch Kari suffer. It was an even harder choice for her to declare that she would submit. But Mary hung on as long as she could. And Kari was thankful for that.

"Now!" Ganondorf yelled. Still holding the knife that was dripping with Kari's blood.

Mary jumped and then grabbed the pen and paper. She held it up and then closed her eyes. Kari watched for several moments as Mary sat there and did nothing. A moment later the girl opened her eyes and slowly looked up to Ganondorf. "I… um… don't know how." She whispered softly.

Ganondorf groaned and rolled his eyes. "Use your magic and imagine the memory of the map." He said with a frown.

Mary nodded and then closed her eyes and tried again.

Kari took this moment to center herself. Try and get a grasp on everything that had happened. Her leg was probably the worst. It had become numb now. She looked down to see her white leg was now stained nearly completely in blood. It was dripping down and pooling on the floor near her foot. She shuddered and let out a soft cry. Tears continuing to come down her cheeks.

She turned her head to Mary and saw something change. Mary's eyes were closed but her eyes seemed to glow. Through her eyelids. Kari watched as Mary's left hand began to scribble stuff down on the sheet of paper. Was she really doing this through magic? Kari had seen Mary do magic before but nothing like this. It amazed her.

Air hitting her wounds made her hiss in pain. She turned back to look at her right shoulder. Her shirt was now turning pure red. This wound was still far more fresh and throbbing painfully. Kari choked back a sob and wriggled the pained shoulder. Trying anything to alleviate the pain. But to no avail.

Kari then turned to her head to look at Mary when she heard her stop. The glow around Mary's eyes disappeared and she opened her eyes. She set the pen down and looked down at the map.

"I finished." She whispered.

Ganondorf moved quickly over to her and took the finished map. He held it up and his dark eyes shined with victory. "And now I have you Hero." He said silently. Kari gulped down a cry of sadness. Did she just put all her friends in danger? For just a few moments without pain in what was left of her life.

A loud knock echoed from outside the door. The two guards near the door held up their weapons and Ganondorf lowered the map from his gaze. He frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"Enter." He commanded.

The door opened and Kari's blood ran cold. In walked Richard with two guards.

Kari had taken a big chance, and they had all failed. She had just cost them everything with her recklessness. It was like she was being stabbed all over again. Since Richard was caught, they had given up the opportunity to stop Ganondorf's forces. And with Mary giving Ganondorf the map, they had just given up their friends to the enemy. And perhaps their last hope for winning the war.

She lowered her head in defeat and cried.

"Gan- uh, Lord Ganondorf." Kari stopped her cries. Why did that voice sound familiar? "We have found the third member. He was cowering in the shadows." Kari raised her head up to look and saw Richard turn and glare at the guard behind him. Wasn't that guy too short for an enemy soldier?

"Ah, so the gang is all here." Ganondorf chuckled darkly. At this moment Richard turned and made eye contact with Kari. His eyes immediately widened and he gasped at the sight of her.

Kari gave him a heartbroken smile. "I tried." She mouthed to him. Another fresh set of tears fell down her cheeks. Behind him the shorter guard slowly lowered his weapon from Richard's back. It seemed he was looking at her as well. Kari turned her eyes to this guard and she couldn't stop the gasp.

She knew those eyes. She knew that voice. It was Micah! He was disguised as a guard to get into the room with them! And the man next to him… it was Talon! They were here to save them.

Kari couldn't stop the smile that came across her face.

"And now we will play a game called who will talk first." Ganondorf said as he reached out and grabbed onto Richard's collar. He turned back around and practically dragged Richard towards the two of them. "The winner will live. The losers will die. Simple game." The evil King said with a sick smirk.

"Any day now!" Richard yelled out.

Kari turned to look at Micah who was dressed as a guard. He seemed to shake his head before pointing his rifle up. He aimed it at the guard on the left side of the room and put one bullet into his chest. Talon moved past him and fired two shots, hitting the two men behind Kari and Mary. Micah then turned and got off another shot, killing the last guard to his right.

By the time Ganondorf dropped Richard and turned around, hand on his knife, Micah had the barrel of the rifle pointed at his throat.

The room froze. Complete silence followed the gunshots. Ganondorf turned his eyes to the two guards that had turned against him and Richard rushed to his feet. Running over to the dead guard behind Kari and grabbing the keys.

"I know this won't kill you but it will probably hurt like hell." Micah said as he took off the black hat on his head. Talon did the same and ran over to his daughter. Pulling her into a tight hug.

"It's alright sweetheart. I'm here." He told her. Mary grabbed onto him and sobbed into his shoulder. Kari's eyes watered up at seeing the reunion.

"Kari are you alright?" Richard asked as he began to unlock the chains from her body.

"Not at all." Kari admitted. As the chains came from her upper body she began to breathe easier. "But I'm starting to feel better." She said, still smiling despite her wounds.

Conversation stopped as Ganondorf began to laugh. "So, this was your attempt to save your friends? Useless." He spoke.

"We managed to surprise you." Micah said, pushing the barrel of his gun against the evil man's neck.

"Indeed, but you forgot that there are cameras in here." Micah turned his head to look at the camera in the corner of the room. The next moment a loud alarm sounded. Micah turned to look up at the sound. "You have failed."

Ganondorf spun around, dagger in hand. He sliced Micah's weapon clean in half despite it being a large rifle. Micah took a step back and reached out for the pistol on his belt. But Ganondorf came at him, dagger pointed forward.

A single gunshot echoed in the small room. Ganondorf froze and Micah stopped, staring at him with wide eyes. He still didn't have his weapon out. Kari turned to look at Talon. He had one arm still on Mary and his other hand was up with his pistol raised at Ganondorf.

Kari saw blood squirt out from the chest wound Ganondorf suffered. The evil King clenched his teeth and took a step back. Blood coming from his mouth. He fell backwards and hit the ground, unmoving.

"Let's go." Talon said. He took the keys from Richard and began unlocking his daughter. Kari let Richard remove the chains and Micah went over to her as well.

"Can you walk?" Micah asked, looking in her eyes.

Kari shook her head. "I can't feel my leg." She whispered.

Micah nodded and then looked to Richard. "Help me do this." He told his friend. Micah knelt down with his back turned in front of her. Richard helped put Kari onto Micah's back. She managed to wrap her arms around his neck, the right arm being in so much pain. She fought it back and used her left hand to grasp tightly onto her right arm, which was hanging there limply.

She whimpered as Micah stood up. Granted he was being as careful as he could. He reached back and grabbed onto her left leg, making sure she didn't fall off. He didn't hold on to her right leg. He didn't want to hurt her more than she was already hurt.

Mary was untied now and Talon pushed them towards the door. Richard took Micah's pistol in his right hand while his left was tucked to his chest. Kari noticed this. "What's wrong with your arm?" Kari asked from behind Micah's head.

Richard looked from it to her. "I think I broke it when you threw me off the roof." He said with a faint smile.

Kari had to smile at that. "If it makes you feel any better I paid for it."

Richard's smile fell at that. He felt bad for her. They all probably did.

"We'll fix you guys." Micah said in front of her. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

They all agreed and made for the door.

* * *

Eyes snapped open. The pain in his chest was there but it was dissipating. But it still hurt. He couldn't be killed with normal weapons but he could still feel pain. He hadn't reached his full power yet. Once he did, mortal weapons would not be able to affect him in any way. Pain was temporary.

Ganondorf sat up in an instant. The sound of the alarm was still going off. He hadn't blacked out for more than a second. His face contorted to pure anger as he turned his head around. He saw the two younger boys, with the injured girl, running through the door. Then Talon was pushing out his daughter so that they could escape.

Hatred and plans of revenge filled his blood. Ganondorf reached out for his knife and took it. He made his aim careful and then threw it. The distance was short but the time in between it leaving his hand and hitting its target was longer than he planned.

The sound of a blade penetrating flesh broke through the sound of the alarm.

* * *

As soon as he felt it, he knew it was the end. So many things that he would never get to see and do in life. But he had no regrets through his life. Only that he would have to leave his daughter at such a young age.

The knife went into Talon's back and most likely hit his spine. Talon gasped out and his body crumbled from the strike. His knees hit the ground as his hands fell limp at his sides.

Mary turned around at this moment and saw what happened. She screamed out in horror. She shouted for him and began to run at him. He wanted to tell her no. He wanted to tell her to stop. But the words died in his throat.

Instead, Richard came forward and grabbed her with his right arm. He pulled her back as Ganondorf got to his feet and walked towards him. Richard looked from Ganondorf and then to Talon. Talon looked into the young boy's eyes and nodded.

Richard returned the nod and then pulled Mary away. Talon's daughter screamed and fought to try and break free. Talon stared at his daughter's beautiful face. Remembering every aspect of it. A tear fell from his cheek as Richard pulled her away and moved out the door.

He ducked his head and spoke softly to himself. "Tia, my love. I hoped I have done right by you. Your son has grown to the Hero he was destined to be. And the young man you wanted him to be. Our daughter is perfect in every way. I hope she will forgive us for leaving her as young as she is. I love you so much."

* * *

"Reciting your final rites?" Ganondorf said walking behind him. He pulled the knife from Talon's back. Talon groaned from the pain but remained silent to the man. "Smartest thing you've done today." Ganondorf twirled his knife as he came around to the front of Talon.

Ganondorf struck out and stabbed Talon in the chest, releasing the knife. Talon gasped out, blood coming into his throat. His eyes went up to Ganondorf. He tried to breathe a few times and then his eyes rolled back. Talon fell onto his back.

Ganondorf watched Talon fall with a look of scorn. He hated that man. He wanted to make him suffer more but he had to go after the others. Ganondorf turned to go towards the door when Talon gasped for breath again.

He stopped and then turned back to the fallen man. "Oh, you're still alive?" Ganondorf asked with an amused smirk. "Good."

Ganondorf walked forward and dropped to one knee. Hovering over Talon, his eyes looked at him. "You have been a thorn in my side for far too long. Helping the Hero defeat my plans last year." He grasped onto the knife and twisted it. Talon growled out from the pain. "And helping the resistance in this battle." Again he twisted the knife.

Now Talon leaned his head up, struggling. Ganondorf smiled in pleasure at the sight of him in pain. Talon reached up at Ganondorf with a shaky right hand. "I… l-love you Mary…" He struggled out. Ganondorf frowned at that. So much for good last words. 'Oh well, time to end it.' Ganondorf thought.

Talon pushed his right hand towards the Evil King's chest. He stopped and looked at this move. Surely he was not trying to fight back in his state. Then what was he doing. Ganondorf looked back at the other man's eyes.

"A gift… from… my wife." Then Talon's head hit the ground and his breathing stopped.

Ganondorf frowned. "A gift from your wife huh? Fine, I'll bite." He released the knife and reached to Talon's right hand. Opening it up. As he did he saw a metal ring placed in Talon's palm.

Ganondorf looked at the ring confused. He picked it up and looked at it in the air. It appeared to look like pin for a … grenade!

Reaching out and throwing back the unzipped vest of Talon, Ganondorf's eyes widened in horror. Six grenades were attached to the man's shirt. One of them had a pin missing. Ganondorf leaned back at seeing this before him.

"Oh shi-"

* * *

Words couldn't describe what they had just experienced. No one spoke except for Mary, crying words to her father. As they ran down the hall they heard and felt the explosion. It had managed to draw all troops away from them. They were all able to escape.

Micah was sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle he had arrived there with Talon. He had the door open and was looking outside, holding a pistol in his hand. His legs were hanging out as he watched to see if anyone was coming.

Behind him Richard had his head leaning on the steering wheel, crying silently. In the back seat Mary was curled up in Kari's lap, sobbing loudly. Micah could guess that the other girl was crying as well but he didn't hear her.

Micah could feel his own tears creeping out of his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, sucking in a breath. He couldn't let the tears effect his vision right now. He was on lookout.

The truck was sitting in the same place that Talon had left it. Hiding in the alleyway near where they had found Richard. It was in the dark and out of the way from the rest of the enemy troops. They were all sitting in the vehicle. Not desiring to move right now. That and it was too dangerous to move at the moment.

Micah didn't have words to say to the group. Granted, he usually didn't but now… now there was nothing he could say to alleviate the pain they all felt. He doubted anyone could say words to help their situation.

What had just happened? It seemed like they lost Richard, Kari, and Mary. And then in the end they lost Talon. It seemed like they underestimated Ganondorf. Something Micah made sure they wouldn't do. That's why they pointed a gun at his head. And shot him in the chest! Even then he was still more than they could handle.

That made his mind turn to Kody. If Ganondorf really was this powerful, could even Kody stand a chance? Even with the Master Sword, was it possible? The troubling feeling in his gut made him think that it was not possible. He prayed that he was wrong about that.

Micah swung his legs back in and then shut the car door. He reached up and wiped his face from a few tears that fell from his eyes. He cleared his throat and then turned to Richard.

"We should get going." Micah said quietly.

Richard picked his head up and then looked over at Micah with red eyes. "Wh-where should we go?"

Micah set the pistol on the dash of the car and started taking off the enemy vest he was wearing. "We have to make for the capital. Get the plans to Kayla's father." Micah took off the vest and then threw it out the open window. Then he reached to his left and grabbed another assault rifle. "It's the only thing we can do now." He mumbled.

"It's my fault." He heard Kari whisper. She was talking about her plan to take the plans to the capital. She was right. He didn't say it, but she was right. If they had never gone to try and give the plans to Kayla's father then they would have never been in this situation. But it wasn't her fault Talon was dead. It wasn't anybody's fault that happened. Least of all Kari's.

"I'm so sorry Mary." Kari cried. Micah looked over his shoulder at the two.

Mary had stopped her sobbing and was now looking at the ground. She still sniffled and the flow of water didn't stop from her eyes. She was sitting on Kari's left leg, hugging herself. Kari was leaning on Mary, stroking the younger girl's hair with her left hand. Micah looked closer and saw that Kari was turning pale from her blood loss. She wouldn't make it long.

This alarmed Micah. Kari needed major medical attention immediately. He wasn't going to let another one die. They had lost two already. And everyone left was just a kid. Nobody else was going to die, Micah promised himself this.

"We need to go, now!" He said turning to Richard.

Richard nodded and then turned on the vehicle. He was about to start driving when a voice from the back seat piped up.

"We have to go to Kody." Micah looked over his seat at Mary who was the one that said that. "He's in danger." She said.

"What are you talking about Mary?" Richard asked. "He's in a forest where they have the only map."

"Not anymore." Mary said. She looked up at the two. Micah saw the conviction in her eyes and was taken back. She went from crying and sobbing to being hardened and serious. Micah could see some of her brother behind her eyes. "Ganondorf has the map. He can find Kody now." She said.

"How?" Micah asked now. "How is this possible?"

"Because I drew it for him." Mary's eyes looked at Kari's wounds. "I… We didn't want to. But I had to." She said lowering her head in defeat.

The two boys were silent for a moment and looked at each other. They both had the same question in their head. "How did you draw it?" Richard asked as they looked at her again.

"With magic." Mary said. Then she looked back up at them. Her eyes narrowing with determination. "I can draw it again" Mary leaned forward and her voice got harder. She had her mind set to something and she wasn't going to let this mission fail.

"We will use it to find Kody and Kayla. And we will not let anyone else fall to that evil man!"

* * *

Fin.

A/N: First of all. I'm sorry.

There, do you forgive me? No? I should have seen that coming. But you didn't see that coming did you? I know, this was dark and some things were hard to get through but I needed to show how evil MY Ganondorf was. We all know how evil he is but this is a different Ganondorf so it was necessary. Still, I felt really bad writing this. But this was the way the story was going to go regardless of how I felt. Talon wasn't meant to live past this story. His death was necessary to escalate things and create more later on. Um… I still feel bad. A lot actually. Just because I write something doesn't mean I am emotionless to what I write. I just want to let you all know that I felt the pain. I really struggled in writing that last part.

In the end, people die, I'm sorry, and it will have MAJOR impacts all along the way. Just you wait. Anger is a powerful emotion. As is sadness.

I almost forgot Lionel came back… then he died. So that Kody could finally accept his duty and move on to his full potential. Again all necessary. So will he finally find the Master Sword? Most likely.

Alright that's enough rambling from me, please leave a review with what you thought.


	10. Master Sword

A/N: New chapter and hopefully less dark. Actually much less dark. So if you stuck around then I guess you are still interested in the story? Good, because there is more. A lot more.

Master Sword

"How could he survive that?"

"The entire room exploded in flames! Everything was nearly vaporized!"

"Do you doubt our Lord Ganondorf?"

Several guards were stuck outside a door in a large hallway. Talking among themselves.

"I don't doubt him, but how could he survive?" One guard asked. "His body was burnt to a crisp!"

"There was no signs of life when we found him. I doubt that doctors could fix him."

"Lord Ganondorf will be fine. He is immortal after all."

Suddenly loud sounds came from the room inside. The three guards turned to the door. More sounds came from it along with a loud crashing noise. All three moved into formation and went for the door.

Then the door crashed open. Flying off the hinges and hitting the wall across the hall. The three guards took a step back and looked at the doorway.

From the room walked out a tall figure covered in white bandages. As the figure moved into the hallway the bandages fell from the face.

Ganondorf opened his eyes as his bandages fell away. His yellow eyes looked down at his body. His hair had turned completely red now and his skin turned a shade darker. The entire left side of his face was burned and scarred, matching the scar above his right eye. His body had become more muscular now instead of just being tall and skinny. He even seemed to be taller now.

Ganondorf turned his eyes to the guards who were stunned by his appearance. "Bring me the sorcerer." He commanded his men. "I need another map."

* * *

The area was calm. Quiet. Not even the chirping of the birds. Come to think of it there were no signs of wildlife anywhere. Just a soft breeze coming through the open area.

Kody stopped in his walk. He turned to look at his surroundings. The path he walked was only filled with short cut grass. On both sides of the path were trees, seeming to create an impenetrable wall for this path. As if there was only one way in and one way out of this area. The way that Kody had just came from. Overhead the trees created a barrier to keep the light out as well. But somehow it wasn't completely dark. Like the place was artificially bright by something inside this area.

Kody took this all in, looking back the way he came. Seeing the opening that he had come from. He looked above him and then towards the light that he had been heading towards. It was still in the distance.

Kody adjusted his sword and gripped onto the hilt. He moved forward. The only sound being his footsteps and the chain on his sword clicking on his hilt. His left fingers drummed across his armor on his side. His face was curious as he moved down the path. Curious of all the things around him.

Getting closer he could see the sunlight pouring in on a single spot. He could see something reflecting the sunlight from that spot. He narrowed his eyes to see what was at the end of this spot.

Kody stopped in his tracks. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. Ahead of him was the Master Sword.

He could see it clearly. The metal was stuck inside a large stone. It rose up from the stone and seemed to reach into the sunlight. The hilt was purple, in the shape of wings. The silver gleam of the metal amazed him. It looked sharp enough to cut through the stone it was stuck in.

Kody took a step closer. His eyes shone brightly. He felt the blade call to him. It was his destiny. He walked up to the short three steps of stone. He walked closer to the sword and then stepped in front of the stone. On it was some scribbling. It was in Hylian. Kody wished he could read it.

Instead he walked around and before the sword. Staring at the top of its hilt. He stopped in his tracks when he heard an unsettling sound.

"Link." Kody looked up as he heard a faint female voice. It was just above a whisper. It sounded as if it were trying to speak with him. When he scanned the area he saw nothing.

A breeze came through in the next second and he heard it again.

"Link." It was calling to him. What was calling him, he did not know. He had to look around the area once more. His warrior instinct forcing him to make sure that there was no one around.

His eyes went back to the blade sitting in the stone. He could see now in the sunlight that there was something odd. The sunlight hitting the blade seemed to cause some sort of aura on the weapon. Along with that Kody could see bright dust particles rising up to the sky in the light.

"Must be magic." Kody whispered seeing the shiny particles rise up into the sky from the sword itself. It was the only explanation for it. Most things he didn't understand he would just call magic. Like Algebra. Algebra was magic. Case closed.

Kody took a step forward so that he was within arm's reach of the Master Sword. It was then another voice spoke inside his head.

"The Triforce is the key…" A male voice said.

Now Kody was sure that this was in his head. It echoed in his ears and didn't seem to come from around him. The voice sounded strangely familiar but he couldn't put a finger on it.

"Link's returned." He heard a female voice.

"The Hero returns for the weapon." Another female voice said.

"He will restore the peace." A third female voice said.

Kody looked up at the sunlight. Three female voices? Were the Goddesses speaking to him right now?

Well the Master Sword was as much of a symbol of the Goddesses as the Triforce. So it would be natural that the Goddesses used it as a way of connecting with the mortal realm. So they could reach out to him through it, in theory.

This made Kody stop in his tracks. The Master Sword was apart of the Goddesses right? So that meant it was connected with every aspect of the Triforce. Courage, power, and wisdom. Not just one part of the Triforce. Could he even wield the Master Sword? If he didn't have all three parts of the Triforce could he even use it?

Realizing this Kody had to take a step back. What if they were wrong this entire time? That he was in fact not worthy of the blade. Their whole mission and future would be in jeopardy if he could not get the blade.

The knowledge that he could possibly not be the one to take the Master Sword put doubt in his heart. And that doubt brought back the fear again. The fear he had of failing and letting everyone down.

Kody dropped his head. "Am I not the one?" He asked himself. Then he looked up at the ray of sunlight coming down from the sky. As if he were speaking to the Goddesses. "The Master Sword is the form of the Triforce, and I have one piece." Kody raised up his left hand. "I don't even know what is required to hold this blade."

Kody lowered his head again to look at the Master Sword. "Link… don't fear…" One of the voices said sweetly.

"How can I not fear?" He asked them. "If I do take the blade… and I still lose. Then what?" His right hand went back to gripping on the hilt of his own sword. His grip hardened as he spoke. "I would be responsible for everyone dying. It's all on my shoulders and if I fail then we all lose."

He let out a shaky breath and then continued. "I don't want to be responsible for everyone. They are all counting on me." Kody dropped down to his knees, still looking at the blade. "I can't hold that responsibility. I don't want to be the cause for the world to go into darkness."

"You are strong." One voice said.

"And brave." Another said.

"But is it enough?" Being here now, confronted with his destiny, Kody was realizing the weight of his duty. He had tried to block it out but it all came crumbling down now. That he was going to hold millions of lives in his hands.

He was still just a boy. He never asked for this. He didn't want the weight of all this on his shoulders. How could he do the things he was supposed to with the knowledge that if he lost or failed then millions would suffer. All because he wasn't ready, or he wasn't worthy.

"You are wise." The third voice finally spoke.

Kody blinked for a moment then looked back up at the sky. "Are you saying I hold what is necessary to wield the Master Sword?" He asked them. They had just described all three parts of the Triforce for him.

"It was never a matter of the Triforce in order to use the Master Sword." The male voice said.

As that voice spoke Kody finally realized who the voice was. His eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder. There was no one there. But it felt like the owner of the voice was here with him now.

It sounded like his voice!

"Link?" Kody asked the voice in his head.

The older voice of himself chuckled. "That is your name, yes." He spoke.

"But… are you Link? I mean, me?" He asked, still looking over his shoulder.

"No, well I was. I don't know. Zelda usually handled the magic part of these things. It doesn't really matter."

Kody had to agree with that. He left the magic to Kayla. Seems like his former lives believed the same thing. "Have… have you been in me the whole time?" He asked the voice.

"What? No. I was somewhere else. But the Goddesses wanted me here. And now I see why."

"Not going to explain how this all works?" Kody asked.

"Couldn't if I wanted to."

"Wow." Kody was amazed. "You really are me." They were far too similar for Kody to doubt that he wasn't in fact Link.

"Not even that. You see, you are Link. You have the soul from all of your former lives. I think I am the knowledge of one of the ones that came before you."

"I don't get it." Kody frowned.

"That doesn't make sense does it? Let's see…" Kody heard the voice trying to explain how this all worked. If Kody had the one soul of Link then how was another part of him talking to him?

"Oh I got it!" The voice finally said. "You see you are Link. When you are reincarnated you start over in a new life. I am merely just the memory of you from old. I'm not really you just like a magical voice from past lives. I don't really exist. Well I do. But in your soul."

Kody was silent for several seconds. Then he spoke. "You know, I feel like that didn't make sense at all. But I understood that."

The voice laughed. "I had a feeling you would. So what are you doing now? Having doubts about the sword or is it yourself?"

"A little of both." Kody admitted. "What if I let everyone down?" He turned back to look at the blade before him. "My uncle told me that if I didn't conquer my fears then I would lose. Right now I think he was right."

"Your fears are only natural. You've felt this before."

"But I'm the Hero, shouldn't I be above this?"

"You're still a human. A young human. Experience is your teacher right now. Through experience you will gain the ability to shrug off things like mortal fear. It is one of the tests you must face. You must accept your fear, then move past it. Don't ignore it, don't shy away from it. Face it, like you do all your problems."

Kody nodded. Understanding the message now. He wasn't supposed to dwell on his fear. He was supposed to stand and face his fear. That meant he had to put himself in a position to fail. And then not fail.

Kody, gaining new resolve, stood now. "It's not that easy." He said. "To just face fear like this."

"It never is. But that is what makes you a stronger person. Your challenges will be difficult. They will bring you to your knees time and time again. But being the strong willed person you are, you will overcome them. I know this doesn't diminish the fear you hold but I hope this will give you the confidence you need."

Kody didn't answer. Instead he took a step towards the sword again. He reached out with his left hand and gripped onto the hilt. It was a loose hold and he clicked his fingers against the grip. "The sword. Why is it that I am the only one to hold it?" He asked. "If all it takes is the Triforce, why is it only I use the blade?"

"Power…"

"Wisdom…"

"Courage…"

The three female voices spoke.

"You are special because only one can hold that blade." The Link voice said.

"Purity…"

"Innocence…"

"Willpower…"

Kody looked up at the sky once he heard these new three words. Were they describing him?

"Yes Link. Only the purely good can use this blade. The innocent of sin. And the strong in willpower. And most importantly the heart."

"Heart?"

The sunlight began to narrow on the sword. Instead of a large beam it was now transformed into a small ray hitting only the top of the sword. The forest darkened with the only light being from the sole ray of light. Along with the glow from Kody's Triforce symbol.

"Your heart is strong, and good. The sword knows this. It has been calling to you. Wanting you to come and retrieve it."

Kody didn't tear his gaze from the blade as his left hand finally tightened on the hilt. He took in a deep breath and tightened his muscles. Preparing to pull the sword out. 'I have the heart.' He told himself. 'I am the one, I am the Hero.'

Kody then finally began to pull the sword. At first he was met with stark resistance. It wasn't going to come free. Was he wrong? Then, after a moment, it started to come free. He slowly started to pull it up.

As it came free the light from above disappeared. Then immediately coming back in a larger spectrum. Illuminating not only the sword but Kody as well. As he pulled it from the stone three golden triangles appeared around him and the sword. The triangles spun in a circle, glowing a bright gold.

Kody kept his eyes on the sword as he pulled it up. When it was close to coming free the three golden triangles got closer and closer. Then as the Master Sword was near its freedom the three golden triangles converged on the sword and a bright yellow light shot up from the sword itself and into the sky.

Strong winds came from the stone as the sacred sword was removed from its resting space. Kody's hat blew away and his tunic flapped in the winds as he continued to hold the blade up. He turned it and pointed it up into the sky. The golden light got brighter and the winds didn't die down. Kody stared in amazement as he had finally retrieved the weapon.

Kody looked at the Master Sword. "I am the Hero."

The winds stopped and the golden light was swallowed by an even brighter white light that exploded from the stone and went through the entire woods. Kody closed his eyes as the light blinded him. He brought his right hand up to shield his eyes. His left hand still held the Master Sword up into the sky.

The bright light faded into the forest and Kody opened his eyes. Once he did he noticed something changed in the Lost Woods. The darkness that had once plagued the woods was now gone. In its place was sunlight shining through the trees. Kody looked up to admire this for a moment before he turned back to the Master Sword.

He brought the blade down in front of his face. Looking at his reflection from the shining steel.

"You are ready…"

"Save Hyrule…"

"Save the Princess…"

Kody heard that their voices were growing distant. Like the Goddesses were retreating. He then turned to the voice in his head.

"Are you still there?" He asked the voice.

"For the moment. You don't need help anymore Link. The Goddesses are correct, you are ready. Now fulfill your destiny."

Kody nodded and then held the sword firmly in front of him. He closed his eyes and spoke softly. "Kayla, I did it. Thank you for never doubting in me. I hope I will not let you down. You or anyone else."

Kody opened his eyes and then lowered the blade. Looking past it and towards the exit of the area he was in. He kept the Master Sword in his hand and walked back the way he came.

"…"

Kody stopped in his walk. He heard something. Not like the Goddesses or the voice of… himself. This was different. Faint, distant. And in his head.

"Hello?" He asked the new voice in his head.

" _Kody…"_

The voice spoke his name. And the voice sounded an awfully lot like Kayla.

"Kayla?"

" _Kody! I can't believe this worked!"_

Her voice sounded frantic. Hearing the tone Kody got worried. Totally ignoring the fact that she was contacting him telepathically through magic. He glossed over things like that a lot.

"Kayla what's wrong?" He asked, looking at the sky. Not really knowing where to look when talking to someone in his head. But by now he should have been used to this.

" _Kody I need you! You have to help, we're trapped in Karikiko Village!"_

"Alright stay there I will be there as soon as I can!" Kody yelled. And then he ran back to where he had left Epona. He ran as fast as he could. Grabbing arrows he stuck in the ground along the way. Thanking himself for leaving markers.

As he got to Epona he stopped. He looked back up the sky unsure of how to contact Kayla again.

"Kayla?" He questioned.

" _Yes?"_

"How do I get to Karikiko Village?"

* * *

 _Earlier that day,_

The sun was already in the sky by the time Kayla stepped outside. It had been one week since she had been staying in the temple, training with Sahasrahla. She had since gained a lot of knowledge and power in magic. Her own growth had been astonishing. But considering that she was the Princess, it wasn't surprising.

She had been able to summon spells, conjure items, move objects, and even teleport. Albeit she couldn't do it well yet but she could do it. Practice was still very much required for most of the things she had learned.

During the week she found that she could no longer stay in the raggedy clothes she had been wearing. Her shirt was ripped and had blood on it and her pants were in no better shape. Sahasrahla had offered her clothing that was stashed in the temple. The only problem was that they were dresses.

Kayla didn't like dresses. They were very cumbersome and restricted her movement. Plus she was a girl from the modern times. She was used to wearing normal clothes. But after the fourth day she had finally conceited.

So she stood outside the doors of the temple, in a dress. The dress was a little long since it had been meant for a young woman and not an adolescent. It was green and white, having embroidered designs in green fabric across the chest. The dress had long sleeves coming past her wrists. She would often step on her dress since it was so long. She still wore her white sneakers though. She wouldn't switch to heels just yet.

Her hair was brushed back in a long flow down her back. Her pointed ears would poke out of her hair. Kayla would spend almost an hour every morning brushing her hair still. Using an old hair brush left at the temple from one of her past lives. Taking care of her hair was very important to her.

Kayla sighed as she walked down the path of the temple. It had been one week since Kody left and he hadn't returned yet. It didn't help that he left the map with her. The idiot should have taken it with him. He was probably lost in the… you know… Lost Woods.

Turning her head north she looked towards the path that led to the Lost Woods. Her heart dropped when she looked at it. Knowing that her friend was in there somewhere. Searching for the weapon that would save everyone. And she was stuck here, waiting for him.

Kayla looked away sadly. She moved to a group of trees near the path and walked among them. Striding on the soft grass, the white dress dragging behind her. It was quiet, serene. Giving her the false hope that everything in the world was at peace.

She touched the tree in front of her. As she circled around the tree her gentle fingers dragged along the bark. When she moved around the tree she looked down at the patch of grass behind it. Laying there was the large dire wolf that she and Kody had saved.

Its eyes opened and it perked its head up. Looking at Kayla. The young girl smiled at the large wolf. "Hey." She spoke softly. She leaned down and reached out with her right hand. Scratching the wolf's head. "Do you miss him?" She asked the dire wolf.

It lowered its head back on the ground. Signifying that it did miss Kody. Kayla's smile fell. "I miss him too." She said, brushing the soft fur. The wounds on the wolf had gone away days ago. Kayla had healed the wolf's many wounds days before, restoring it to good as new.

And in all those days she had still not given it a name. Kayla frowned at this thought. "Well I was waiting for Kody to get back in order to give you a name. But I can't just keep calling you wolf." She told the large animal. A small laugh escaped her lips. "I don't even know if you are a boy or a girl. So are you a boy?" She asked. The wolf simply tilted its head at the question. "Hmm, are you a girl?" The wolf barked at that question.

"Oh really?" Kayla smiled a bit and rubbed the wolf's head affectionately. "Kody won't like that. He's surrounded by enough girls as it is." She laughed a little before thinking. "So now for a name. Hmm… how about Nancy?" The wolf lowered her head again. "Don't like that? What about Selina?" The wolf made a low growl. "Worse huh? Well let's see…" Kayla pondered names in her head. "Maybe Tia? Kody's mom's name?"

The wolf perked her head up, looking at Kayla. Her tail wagging in delight. "Really? Tia?" The wolf barked happily. Kayla frowned slightly. "Well I don't know how Kody's going to like that. But if that's what you want then it's Tia." She raked her fingers through the fur again. "You can deal with Kody if he doesn't like it." She giggled.

"Feeling lonely?" Kayla looked up to see Sahasrahla walking towards her. She frowned slightly.

"No, I'm just tired of sitting here doing nothing." She said. "My friends are out in the city, who knows what's happening with them. And my best friend is out in the wilds searching for the weapon to save us all."

"And you are getting ready for the future." He told her.

"But how does that help us right now?" Kayla asked looking back at the wolf who was now named Tia. "I should be out doing something instead of waiting for something to happen."

"Patience is your ally." Sahasrahla said.

She knew he was right. She needed to have patience in these dark times. Things would work themselves out. She just had to be ready for when it was her time to do something. "But what if there was something I could be doing?" She asked, tilting her head slightly as she scratched the back of Tia's head.

Sahasrahla was quiet for a moment. Then he turned on his heel and began walking back to the temple. "Then gather your things." He said to her.

Kayla lifted her head up and looked at him questioningly. "What?"

"You want to be doing something instead of waiting right? Then let's go. I have something to show you."

Kayla then went and gathered her things into a small pack. Once they were both ready to go they began walking east. Tia, the dire wolf, went with them. Scouting ahead or walking closely to Kayla.

It took them two hours of walking down the path. Sahasrahla was quiet the entire time. Kayla noticed that the elder didn't participate much in idle conversation. So she didn't bother him too much on their trip. That and most of her questions were answered during her week of training.

At the end of their travel Kayla saw something in the distance. On both sides of the path were buildings. Old wooden and stone buildings. Most seemed to be broken and overgrown with foliage. Kayla could see that this appeared to be a village. One that must have been abandoned for years. Thousands of years. She gaped as she looked at the careful workmanship that went into each building. It looked like each building was designed carefully and independently. It was a shame that the village had come into such a sad state.

"Where are we?" Kayla breathed out. She was still taken back by the beauty of the place.

"This is Karikiko Village. One of the oldest settlements in Hyrule." Sahasrahla told her.

"One of the first to be abandoned as well?" She asked as they walked into the limits of the settlement. Passing by an old wooden post that was sticking out of the ground. Kayla stopped as she looked at it.

"Yes, this place housed some of your most devout followers. And such when the faith for the Goddesses left the land the people left as well." Kayla walked over to the wooden post and noticed a piece of wood sitting on the ground before it. She crouched down and picked up the piece of wood, flipping it over. She brushed away the moss that covered the front of it. Once she did she saw the words scratched onto the front of it.

Karikiko Village

Kayla sighed and put the sign back on the ground. "It's a shame to see such a beautiful civilization be reduced to this." She said sadly.

"People lost their hope. But some still hold that hope. Families that lived here probably still know the old ways."

"You think that any would remember the land of old?" Kayla asked, standing upright.

"I know of one family. The Hero's family lived here for centuries. They were the last to leave in fact."

Kayla turned around to look at him. "Kody's family lived here? Really?" He gave her a nod. "Where?"

"Come." He said walking into the village. Kayla followed him as they walked through. They passed many more buildings, a handful that still seemed to be intact. Most were in sad shape though. They went by what seemed to be an open market area as well. And then they reached the center where four large statues stood.

"Hmm, this is odd." Sahasrahla said looking at the statues. Kayla looked at these as well. The four statues were over six feet tall. They were in the shapes of knights, holding swords and shields. They were made of some sort of shining silver stone.

"What's odd?" Kayla asked.

The old man shook his head and kept walking. "It's nothing I suppose."

Tia followed closely to Kayla as they all walked by the four statues and up the path.

They didn't see that each statues eyes began to glow white.

"This is it." Sahasrahla said, stopping in front of a house.

"It is?" Kayla questioned. She was standing in front of a medium sized house made from wood with a red painted roof and a small fence wrapping around the property. It looked just like any other house with one exception. It was in complete disrepair.

The roof was gone entirely, save for a few tiles around the edges. The door was gone and it seemed like a hole was in the side of it. The house itself looked like it was going to crumble at any second.

"What happened?" She asked as she stepped towards it.

"Bandits, treasure seekers. Or just citizens angry at Link." He told her.

"Why would they be angry at Link?" Kayla asked. She stepped to the doorway and placed her hand on the doorframe.

"Leaving them in their time of need." Sahasrahla said. "Hylia used to be where your castle was. Paintings and statues were created in your image. All of it was destroyed by angry people. Angry at you."

Kayla grimaced at that thought. "I'm glad I wasn't around to experience that." She stepped inside to see that there was nothing there but cobwebs and broken pieces of wood. "We did leave them after all."

"Not by choice and not on purpose."

"But we still left." She made her way to the hole in the wall and looked out it. "What were they looking for? The bandits." She asked.

"Artifacts. The special magical kind that Link used for centuries."

"But none were here?" She asked him.

"His family took them all and hid them away. Older artifacts were taken by you before your last battle. Preserved in museums all across the land."

Kayla shook her head and turned back to the older man. "But what-" She stopped and her eyes widened when she looked past Sahasrahla. And the thing raising a blade at him.

Her scream echoed through the empty village.

* * *

"Come on girl!" Kody shouted to Epona. "I need you to go faster!"

They were racing down a dirt path heading towards Karikiko Village. Kody intended to push Epona to as fast as she could go. He had to get to this village to save Kayla. She was in danger! From… something.

Okay he didn't actually know what the problem was but still. Kayla wouldn't call for him unless she was in serious trouble. And she did so telepathically.

Now that he had a moment to think about it he didn't know how it was possible. How could she talk in his head and communicate? Kody knew it was magic but he didn't understand how it made any sense. Nevertheless he would ask Kayla about it. After he saved her.

Ahead in the distance Kody could see what looked like the remains of an ancient settlement. "That must be it!" He shouted to Epona. He ducked down lower to give her more speed as they rushed towards it.

Kody gripped onto the reins with his left hand. In his right was the Master Sword. He held it out to the side since he didn't have somewhere to put it at the moment. Besides, after everything he went through to get it he was content with holding it for now.

The pair raced into the village and Kody finally pulled Epona to a stop. The young horse panted as Kody looked all around the village. "Where…?" He questioned. His head turning practically all the way around. He didn't hear anything and nothing looked out of the ordinary. Besides a weird looking knight statue made of white stone.

Tilting his head Kody ushered Epona towards the thing. He leaned forward to inspect said statue with a closer eye.

Then a scream came from the distance. Kody jerked back and looked to his left, where the scream came from. "Kayla!" He shouted. He turned Epona towards the origin of the scream and pushed her forward.

He never saw it coming.

A large stone shield came over his vision as he told Epona to advance. His eyes widened just in time to be hit in the face by the stone. Kody's body fell back on Epona and he lost his grip on her. He came tumbling down off the horse as she ran off to help Kayla.

Kody let out an annoyed gasp, despite the fact that his lip was now bleeding from getting hit in the face by a stone shield. He was on his back looking up at the sky. Hearing Epona take off without him. "No. Stop. Come back." He said to himself in a more sarcastic manner. He wasn't trying to actually yell at Epona. She was long gone. "How did you not notice I fell off?" He huffed and then sat up.

Kody's eyes fell onto something large and made of stone in front of him. They looked like feet of a suit of armor. Slowly, Kody's eyes went up the armor that was made of stone and looked at the statue of the knight that was now moving. It held a shield and a sword made of stone and was looking at Kody with two white dots where the eyes should be.

"Oh." Was all that Kody could say. Now he understood what knocked him off of his horse.

One large stone foot lifted off the ground and came for the young hero.

Battle instincts kicking in, Kody rolled to the side. He heard, and felt, the stone knight step into the ground. Kody pushed himself to his feet and held the Master Sword up.

The stone knight lifted its head to look at the teenager. Kody brought his left hand back as his right held onto the weapon confidently. He adjusted his stance, taking in the size of the stone knight. Considering his opponent Kody didn't want to block for any reason. Dodging was key here. Even if he hadn't left his shield on Epona again. He really needed to start remembering that thing.

Not even a moment later the stone knight went towards him, sword raised up. Kody's mind quickly calculated the possible ways of winning this fight. As his time ran out Kody got his battle tactic ready. Something so heavy and tall had one weakness. Gravity.

The stone knight's blade was coming down but Kody was already out of the way. He went to his right and advanced on the stone opponent. The sword hit the ground and made the earth shake but Kody remained unaffected. He ran at the stone knight and planted the Master Sword into the knee. He didn't stop, pulling the sword towards himself, ripping it through the stone as if it were butter.

The stone crumbled from the attack and its leg shattered. The stone knight began to sway and then fell forwards. It hit the ground and broke. It didn't break into pieces but it did crack all over its body.

It tried to pull itself up when Kody walked over to the head and stabbed the Master Sword into it. The glow from the white eyes grew bright for a moment then it faded completely. Kody removed the sword from the now crumbling stone and went to where Kayla was.

* * *

"Nothing is hurting them!" Kayla yelled. She was on top of a roof of one of the buildings. Her right hand was extended out at two giant stone knights. The magic she used to try and fight them just bounced off.

"The type of stone they are made of." Sahasrahla said. He was behind her, grasping onto a wound across his abdomen. He had gotten hit earlier on but Kayla managed to help get him away from the stone knights attacking them. "It can block magic." He said.

Kayla frowned at that. Stone that blocks out magic? Whose idea was that? She turned her head to look at a fallen tree trunk just several feet behind one of the stone knights approaching them.

She pulled her right hand back to her body, her mind on the tree. She extended both her arms towards it. A small clear blue magic ball shot from her body and hit the fallen tree. Kayla narrowed her eyes as she reached out and commanded it.

The tree rose up from the ground, levitating in the air. A small bead of sweat came down Kayla's face as she held the tree steady with her magic. The stone knight slowly turned to see what was happening. Kayla swooped her arms across her body, commanding the tree.

It flew right into the stone knight, causing it to topple over and hit the ground, shattering into tiny stone pieces.

Kayla smiled, seeing that she had managed to beat one. She breathed out heavily, the magic taking a toll, as she readied to take out the other one.

But she watched in horror that the stones of the one she broke started to piece themselves together. Quickly, the stones came up and took the form of the stone knight once more.

"Is there no stopping them?" She breathed out, her arms coming back down to her sides.

"They are held together by magic. It seems they can only be undone by magic." Sahasrahla said.

"But you said they are impervious to magic!" Kayla realized.

"Yes, it does present a problem."

Kayla slumped down and fell to her knees. Seeing the two giant stone statues coming towards them still. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to beat them. If only Kody could get here then they could figure something out.

Then she heard the sound of hooves clacking and jerked her head up. She smiled as she saw Epona run towards their area. Her smile disappeared at seeing that Kody was not on her. Kayla saw his shield and bow on her though. "Kody?" She called out and then looked past Epona. She didn't see him. Just the horse.

Then a loud crash got her attention. She looked over to see the third stone knight smash through a house. In front of the stone knight was Tia, the dire wolf, growling and moving from side to side to avoid the giant enemy. Part of the reason Kayla was able to escape the stone knights clutches was because Tia managed to distract them for a time.

The stone knight kicked out its right foot at the wolf. Tia didn't expect this. She was thrown back and hit the ground, whining in pain.

"Tia!" Kayla yelled. She watched as the stone knight went after the wounded wolf. Kayla looked down and saw Epona just standing there. Kayla bit her lip and went to the edge of the roof. Unsure of her decision but still willing to do it.

"Okay Kayla, nice and easy." She told herself. She reached down and grabbed onto the ends of her dress, holding it up a little in order to jump down successfully. "Stay Epona, stay." She called out to the horse.

Kayla's head went up to look at the stone knights which were practically in front of her now. She gulped and then jumped with her eyes shut tightly.

She hit the saddle and immediately regretted doing what she just did. "Ow, they make it look so easy in the movies!" She said rubbing her leg. She didn't have time to think about the pain from the fall as one of the stone knights moved towards her. She looked down at Epona and grabbed the horse's reins. "Let's go!" She shouted.

Epona charged ahead, going to where Tia and the other stone knight was. She dodged past the other two enemies clad in stone.

Kayla guided the horse to go in between the dire wolf and the stone knight. As they got close Kayla brought her right hand up to her face. She focused her mind on a certain type of magic. Once she had it in her mind she gently blew air into her right hand. Her hand became covered in a thin layer of ice, reaching down to her wrist.

Epona stopped in between the stone knight and Tia. Kayla turned her head to the enemy and cocked her right arm back. She threw her right arm forward, aiming at the stone knight. The ice from her hand flew off towards the statue, hitting it in the chest. As it came towards her with its sword the ice began to spread. Starting from where Kayla hit it. In a matter of seconds the entire statue was frozen solid, turning into ice.

Smiling at the success, Kayla turned her attention to the wolf. "Tia, come on girl." The wolf whined but made no attempt to move. "I know your hurt but I can't heal you right now. I promise I'll do it in a moment but you have to move!" Again the wolf made no movement. Behind her, the ice around the statue began to crack.

"Tia!" Kayla called to the wolf. The next moment the ice shattered and the stone knight was free. Kayla's eyes widened as she felt pieces of ice hit her back. She turned her head to look at the statue behind her.

The stone knight stood before her, sword raised to the sky. Kayla reacted quickly but she still screamed. She reached down and grabbed onto Kody's shield and held it up above her head.

The blow came down and it stunned her. Then again, the thing was made of stone.

Kayla was thrown from Epona and landed on her back. The shield fell from her hands and landed some ten feet away from her. She groaned from the fall and wiggled from the pain in her back. She still looked up and saw the stone knight take a step towards her, raising its sword up once again.

'Goddesses.' Kayla thought. Her left hand came up instinctively. Not like she could stop anything with her hand. Fear crept up into her body and mind at seeing that this could be the end of her life right here. Crushed by a giant stone knight made of magic. 'Don't let me die now!' She screamed in her mind.

The sword came down and her eyes squeezed shut.

She didn't expect to hear anything so when she heard the sound of metal she was shocked. On top of that she didn't feel anything. No pain, no death, nothing. Kayla slowly opened one eye to see what had just happened.

As her vision came to focus in front of her she couldn't hold back the gasp that came from her lips.

The sword did come down, but it was stopped. By another sword.

Standing over her was Kody. Clad in his green armor holding up his sword and blocking the large stone sword. He appeared to be holding back the massive strength of the stone statue.

"Kody!" She said, her face breaking out in a bright smile.

He turned his head so that she could see the right side of his face. He smiled at her. "Need some help?" He asked.

The stone knight then drew his sword back and Kody's attention went back to it. "Time to go." He said before reaching down and grabbing her hand. He pulled her up and then she squealed as he threw her over his shoulder.

Now being taller than Kody, she didn't expect him to be able to do this feat. But he was a lot stronger than she thought. She began to blush bright red as his hand held onto the back of her legs right below her backside. Her hands came up to her face in a vain effort to hide herself from the world as her embarrassment swallowed her.

Not the time to think of that though.

Kody ran away from the stone knight as his sword came down again. Shaking the ground. But Kody wasn't hindered in the slightest. He ran until they were out of range of the stone knight. Then he leaned down and let her feet hit the ground and released his hold on her. Kayla stood up straight and looked at him oddly. "A little warning next time." She said, hoping her face would fade back to normal soon.

"Sorry, I was in a rush and I-" He stopped and then took a step back, looking at her up and down. "Are you wearing a dress?" He asked, pointing at her.

Kayla's head went to look over herself before she looked back at him. Her face burned hot red once again and she tried to cover it up by looking angry instead of embarrassed. "Now's not the time!" She yelled, hoping it worked.

Kody took the hint and looked over his shoulder to see the three stone knights were coming towards them now. He turned to face them, putting his back to Kayla. "Right, let me take out these guys first." Kody said holding up his sword and getting into a battle stance.

Kayla opened her mouth to warn him that they were probably invincible but stopped. The reason she stopped was that her eyes went to the sword. It wasn't the one he was using earlier. This one was different. Kayla realized it had to be the Master Sword. She looked back to Kody and she could tell something was different. He was different. He appeared to be more confident, more sure of himself. Before Kody had the technique but now it appeared he had the attitude as well. The total appearance of a hero.

So Kayla stayed quiet. Instead she silently watched as Kody rushed at the three large statues. He cut through the first one's leg and it toppled over. The second one swung its sword at him and he jumped out of the way. The third one moved to the other side in an effort to block him in. It swung at Kody who ducked underneath it.

He went underneath its legs and grabbed onto his shield that was left on the ground. He placed the shield on his back and stood ready as the two stone knights turned towards him. He ran at them once more and struck at the one closest to him. He got the legs and it too toppled over. The third one however, swung its sword at Kody while he had just finished taking down the second one. Kody flipped around so that his back was to the stone knight and his sword. The sword hit the shield and Kody escaped the strike unscathed.

He advanced, running at the stone knight. Kody jumped up and struck his sword into the chest of the third stone knight. The statue hesitated but stopped in its movement. Then the white glow of eyes disappeared. All at once the stone crumbled down to the ground. Kody's eyes widened as he fell with the stone. Letting out a small yell as he hit the ground.

Kayla smiled a little at watching this. Looks like he had this under control the whole time. Kody stood back up and shook the rocks off himself. Then he advanced to the two fallen stone knights and pierced each of their heads. This effectively eliminated them and the fighting was done.

He made it seem too easy.

Kody turned around and looked over at her. "Done and done." He said walking towards her. He shook off the sword and held it out to the side. Kayla's eyes went to the gleam of the blade. She was then taken back by the way he looked walking towards her. It was something from out of her dream. Dressed in the green armor, wielding the Master Blade, walking with dignity. It was a surreal moment for her. Realizing that they were now becoming who they were supposed to be.

"Are you alright?" She hadn't realized that Kody was now in front of her. He was looking at her oddly. She might have been standing silently for a while now.

Her cheeks burned and she looked down at her feet. "I'm fine. I managed to get away from those things." She looked back up to Kody. Checking to see if he had any wounds. "Are you hurt?" She asked.

He shook his head and smiled. "I managed to evade everything. I'm clean." Then his eyes moved up and down, observing her. "So… you're in a dress?"

Kayla scoffed and turned away from him quickly. "Don't start with that." She said softly.

He laughed a little and took a step forward. "Don't be embarrassed, I think you look good in a dress."

Kayla kept her back to him. She felt her cheeks start to burn red hot. 'He thinks I look good in a dress?' She thought to herself. Her hand came up and touched her cheek. Trying to cool herself off. "You-you think so?" She asked, still not turning around.

"Of course. You wore dresses all the time in the past after all."

Kayla would have slapped herself in the face if he wasn't right there. Leave it to Kody to brush something aside like this. Maybe there was truly no hope in understanding him or finding out his feelings.

"Does that mean you're going to be changing your wardrobe?" He asked her.

Kayla rolled her eyes and moved away. Going over to Tia who was still lying on the ground. Kody followed behind her.

"Is the wolf alright?" Kody asked, noticing the dire wolf.

"She will be once I heal her." Kayla came down and knelt in front of the wolf.

"You figured out how to heal? That's great… wait. The wolf is a she?" Kody asked.

Kayla nodded and she held out her hands. Tia whining from her wounds. She took a deep breath and then concentrated her magic into her hands. A light glow came from her hands as she healed the wolf.

"Yes and I named her." Kayla said.

"Well what did you name her?"

"…" Kayla was silent for a moment. Taking into consideration how he might handle this. After all it is his mother's name. Would he get offended that she was using it for a wolf now? A wolf that he had saved though. And Kayla was pretty sure that the wolf liked Kody more than her too. "Her name is… Tia."

She heard Kody move and then saw that he was now knelt down next to her. Looking down at the wolf. "Tia? Why?"

"She liked the name." Kayla's eyes shifted to him for a moment. "If you want to change it then I understand. I'm sure you can pick something she likes."

"It's alright." Kody said, reaching out to pet the wolf's head. "Tia will do."

Kayla smiled. He seemed to like it. Good. She finished healing the wolf and stood back up. Tia got up and then moved towards Kody. Her tail wagging happily. She flipped her long tongue out and gave Kody a sloppy long lick. Kody leaned back and pushed on her.

"Alright I get it, you missed me." He said laughing. He stood up and wiped his face off from the slobber. After that he turned his grin to his best friend. "You missed me too right?" He asked her. Holding out his arms suggestively. As if he were expecting an embrace from her.

Kayla frowned. "You think too high of yourself. Hero." From her look and tone, Kody's hands fell down. He looked away from her, saddened by what she had said. Clearly, he could put out jokes but not take them.

She smiled and then stepped forward. Kody looked up to her as she came closer. She didn't let him speak as she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to her. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. Loving the feeling of him being so close to her again.

"I missed you silly." She whispered in his ear. Grasping onto him tighter. She felt him stiffen for a moment. Surprised by her sudden change in mood. He needed to be better at detecting sarcasm. She would teach him later.

Kody finally wrapped his arms around her. His palms resting on her lower back. She fought down a giggle as he embraced her as well. She took in a deep breath. Despite him smelling like sweat and forest, she loved it. Smelling like nature was something only Kody could pull off. It reminded her of home and better times. Better times with her hero.

She leaned back a little and threw caution into the wind. She pressed her lips to his dirt stained cheek in a soft and short kiss. Much like New Year's a year ago. She leaned back to gauge his reaction.

She was satisfied to see him shocked and staring at her with wide eyes. Kayla gave him a soft smile. "That's for always being able to save me." She said to him.

"Yeah uh…" Kody took a step back and rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. His cheeks began to turn pink to Kayla's amusement. As he stepped back he let his left hand hold onto hers in between them. "All in a day's work." He turned away but still grasped onto her hand. Either not noticing or not caring that he was holding her hand.

"I forgot, it's your job." She said with a giggle. Liking the way he shrunk under her teasing. "To rescue me and keep me safe."

"Yeah… that's me." Kody laughed uncomfortably and looked around the area. His face turned to a frown as he seemed to notice something. "Hey, where's Sahasrahla?" He asked her.

Kayla's eyes widened at this. "Oh no!" She said and sprinted off. Releasing his hand and running to where she left Sahasrahla on the roof of one of the other buildings. She went over to the building and stopped, staring up at the roof. "Um… Kody?" As she finished asking he was right in front of her kneeling down. He had his hands out, ready to lift her up.

Kayla closed her mouth, the question dying on her lips. Instead she stepped forward and put her foot on his hands. He pushed her up and she grasped onto the roof. She suddenly stopped going up. Kody had stopped pushing her up. She turned to look down and he was holding her up, his head looking up at her. Underneath her dress.

She would have been completely embarrassed had it not been for the fact that his eyes were screwed shut. Still, the poor girl's cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment. As even though he wasn't looking it didn't degrade the fact that she felt completely humiliated. That her underpants were in clear view of her best friend, slash secret crush, right now. But he kept his eyes closed. This made Kayla feel special and angry at the same time.

Her anger subsided when she remembered who her crush was. The innocent and naive Kody. He couldn't know indecent from decent. Correct from incorrect. Such and such. The only thing Kody knew for sure was good from bad. Doing just for the unjust. Kody truly did not know the horrors faced on both sides. Kayla knew this, only through books she read. But Kody honestly couldn't know the evil and unjust in men's hearts. And this made her pity him.

She pitied him because he couldn't tell when it was appropriate or inappropriate to indulge in carnal desires. Even then she still didn't know too much about this subject. As a past queen and future princess she credited him. As a girl, soon to be woman, she blamed him. For she was on two minds about this. He showed control and poise beyond his years. Also, he showed disinterest to her body. The old fashioned and modern parts of herself collided in this moment.

Kayla shook this all off and instructed him. "Kody… push me up more." She said in a quiet voice. He listened and proceeded to lift her up until she could climb up onto the roof. Kayla saw the edge of the roof in front of her and grabbed onto it. She pulled herself up and sat upon the roof.

Before she thought about healing Sahasrahla she looked back down from the roof at Kody. While she thought about helping him up she didn't expect him to do what he did. Which was jump up at the roof and pull himself up. Kayla held back a gasp as he came up to meet her face to face.

He pulled himself up with practically no resistance. Again, he made it look too easy. She frowned and crawled over to Sahasrahla. She put her hands out towards him and concentrated her efforts.

Kody came up behind her and watched as she worked her healing magic again. "Wow, so I guess I won't have to worry about getting hurt anymore?" He asked her.

Kayla kept from rolling her eyes. "I can only heal so much. If it's a serious wound I can heal lethal damage. But… if it's multiple wounds that's when it becomes complicated." She explained to him.

"So like when I was shot and stabbed last year, Mary could only heal so much on me." Kody concluded as he watched Sahasrahla's wounds fade away.

Kayla gave a small shrug with her head. "Something like that. Mary's magic power is less than mine. Once I managed to control it. But there is still limits to the healing power. I can only do so much. So if, for example, you had two wounds I could only heal one. And I would probably heal the deepest and most lethal." She explained to him.

Kody nodded in understanding. "So it's like the healing potion?"

Kayla shook her head. "No. Those healing potions could heal all wounds. My magic can only do so much. Because in order to give or create I have to offer something."

"Your magic?"

She nodded. "Yes. So as my magic ability grows I will be able to heal more and do more. Such and such." She waved her left hand in the air for emphasis. Seeing that Sahasrahla was nearly healed. The elder's eyes blinked open as his single wound began to vanish. He looked at Kayla then to Kody crouching directly behind her.

"So, Hero, you have retrieved the weapon you were born to wield?"

Kody smirked and held the Master Sword in front of him. "It wasn't easy. But yes I did." He pulled it back to his body as Kayla continued to work. "I met some interesting voices as well."

"The voices you needed to hear no doubt." Sahasrahla began to sit up as Kayla stopped her healing magic. "Anything you experienced was simply a creation of the Goddesses. Not truly what you expected."

"I already knew all that." Kayla looked over at her friend. Just what did he experience? "It was all to help me face myself and the reality of what is to come. And all that. Destiny and such." Kody said dismissively.

Both Kayla and Sahasrahla looked at him surprised. "Oh, well, very good." The elder said. Kayla shrugged, noting to ask about what happened later.

"So now you have the weapon to kill Ganondorf?" She asked him.

Kody nodded but kept a straight face. "I do. And I have the ability." Then he looked off to the side. "But… something is bothering me." He admitted.

Before Kayla could ask Sahasrahla spoke up. "And what is that?"

Kody looked at Kayla, which unnerved her, then at Sahasrahla. "I felt as if the Goddesses didn't expect me to destroy Ganondorf. Even with the weapon. Like they wanted me to simply… help Zelda or," he gestured to Kayla. "You."

Sahasrahla's eyes actually widened at this confession. As if he understood something they both did not understand. "Oh, oh my." He said and rose to his feet. "I see. The Goddesses do have a higher plan. Or they can truly see the future and what is about to unfold." He said cryptically and walked to the edge of the roof.

Kayla frowned and turned to the older man. "And what does that mean?" She questioned.

"There is more to learn and less time than I feared. For now, why don't we take a moment to relax? We have all earned it."

Kayla shared a questioned glance with her best friend who held onto his new weapon possessively.

There was something else going on that either of them did not understand. And Kayla did not like this.

* * *

Fin.

A/N: That's all. And now Kody finally got the Master Sword! Yay! Kayla knows like a ton of magic too! Even better! Our heroes are ready! Or are they? What is to pass? Is there a higher calling than just killing Ganondorf with the Master Sword? What is to pass? I know, but you don't.

As always please leave me a review with what you think!


	11. Destiny's Revealed

A/N: Chapter 11 and the part where things truly come to a head. Well, I always say things like that but this is where everything comes together for that last battle. I think. You'll just have to read to find out what happens. I know, I torture all of you. But you love it. We have only five chapters left so let's see what happens in this last part!

Destiny's Revealed

 _The Next Day,_

"How is she?" Micah asked as he walked with several older men. They were inside of the capital building, safe. At the moment. Getting the necessary medical attention. Richard walked beside him, his arm in a sling. Since it was broken from his fall.

"Which one?" Kayla's father asked. He walked ahead of the two boys with his arms behind his back. Behind Micah were three security guards. Fully armed. They were all walking down the hallway of what was now the infirmary. Which used to be the political quarters.

"Kari." Micah said. Mary was the more emotionally damaged but Kari was near physical death when they finally made it to the capital building. Mary refused to leave her side since.

"My doctors went to operate on her." Kayla's father explained. "But Mary stopped them. She then began to emit a glow from her hands that covered Kari's body. I had my doctors watch over the two and they haven't reported anything negative since." He explained as they walked to the room Kari was in.

Micah and Richard both shared a look. They knew that Mary was preforming her magic on Kari. The young girl probably felt responsible for what happened to her female companion. But they all knew that it wasn't her fault that Kari was tortured. Kari was stubborn. If she was hurt this badly it was because she wanted it to happen. In order to save Mary… or someone else.

"Did you get the information we brought?" Micah asked, changing the subject.

"Yes." The Senator informed them. "It was… invaluable. It could end this battle within the week." He then stopped and looked at both of the young boys. "I… know that this cost you all very much. But it will save thousands of lives." He told them.

Micah looked away. "It couldn't save one of us though." He spoke softly. He shook his head and focused. "But you are right. This battle will be over with the information you have. Hopefully the city will be saved as well." He said.

"I agree. My heart goes out for Mary and her brother." Kayla's father continued to walk down the hallway. "They have both lost far too much. Neither of them deserve more pain."

Micah could agree with that. Poor Mary lost her mother before she was born. Her brother was out in the ancient forest somewhere and now she lost her father. That was too much for a girl of her age.

"When this is all over I will make sure she will have everything she could ever ask for." The older man said.

"I doubt that will make up for what she lost." Micah mumbled. Looking down at the tiled ground.

They stopped in front of the door to the room where Kari had been placed. Several guards were outside the door as well as a few doctors. Discussing what to do about the injured girl inside. When the Senator came up to them they quickly went over to him.

"Senator Fitzgerald, sir. We have an update on the girl." On doctor said as the two others stood behind him.

"And?" Kayla's father asked impatiently.

"She has made a miraculous recovery. Mostly thanks to the young girl who has performed… well magic." The doctor said.

"Magic?" Kayla's father asked as he took the clipboard from the first doctor and looked over it.

"Yes sir. Her major wounds have been healed. Her life has been saved!"

"Some of her lesser wounds are still present but nothing to hinder her health as of this moment." Another doctor said.

"I understand." Senator Fitzgerald said. He handed the clipboard back to the doctor. "You will keep this information of record." He said in a low tone.

"But sir-"

Kayla's father held up a hand. "I said, keep it off record."

The doctors looked at each other in hesitation. Finally the lead doctor turned back to the Senator and lowered his head. "Of course. You may go inside now." He said and they moved away from the door.

Micah followed Kayla's father as they ventured inside the room. All the doctors and armed guards stayed outside. Knowing that they did not wish to be disturbed at this moment.

Micah stopped once he entered the room. When they arrived they had given Kari over to the doctors on site who took her away to this room. Mary refused to leave her side even then. Now as he stepped into the room he did not expect what he saw.

The bed and blankets were all stained with Kari's blood, but the girl herself did not look like she lost that much blood. Kari was sitting up in her bed, her right arm back to normal. She was clutching onto Mary who seemed to be fast asleep. Mary was curled up in Kari's lap. The older girl gently brushed Mary's long brown hair, comforting the younger girl as she slept.

"Are you alright?" Micah didn't realize he asked until Kari looked at him with her emerald eyes.

She frowned slightly and looked back down at Mary. "She's resting." Kari said simply. Still stroking the girl's brown locks of hair.

"And your wounds?" Richard asked. Micah noticed that his friend was looking at the tired younger girl as he asked this. He was concerned with the younger girl. It was understandable, Mary had gone through more than the rest of them. And now she was practically passed out.

"They're better." Kari said in a soft tone. "I'm not bleeding if that's what you're wondering." She raised her eyes to look at Micah again.

"How do you feel?" Kayla's father asked her.

"Alive." Kari said, turning her gaze to Mary again. "All thanks to her." Kari dipped down and placed a small kiss on Mary's temple. "I owe you my life again." She whispered. Micah caught this but did not comment on it.

"This is good news. We can put Mary in a better room for her to sleep. She must be exhausted." Kayla's father said, relieved.

"She's not exhausted." Micah said, looking at the small girl. "She's drained of magic. I'm not sure if she can sleep that off." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"She needs to regain her magic. It's like her life force." Kari explained. She pulled Mary closer to her body. This caused the blanket that was covering her to shift. Doing so exposed her right leg which Micah looked down at. He could see that the wound itself had closed and was nothing more than a scrape. He was glad for this, but still concerned for Mary. "We don't know if she can regenerate this through rest."

"She's right." Richard breathed out. "The only one that knows this would be Mary or your daughter."

"So we have to take her to Kayla." Micah said, still eyeing the two girls in front of him.

"I am not going to allow you four to venture out. Especially when you don't know where my daughter is located currently." Kayla's father said. He did have a point. They had no idea where Kayla and Kody were currently. And Mary was the only one who could figure out where they were.

"Mary drew this before she passed out." Kari said and held up a piece of paper. Micah walked over quickly and took the paper. He shared eye contact with Kari for a moment. The look in her eyes told him that there was hope. Hope for all of them. "She said we need to go that village." Kari added.

Micah looked down at the map. He saw a small settlement on the map that was circled. Karikiko Village, is what it said. "That's where they are?" He asked looking back up at her.

Kari shrugged and turned her gaze back down to Mary. "All I know is what she said. If we are to find Kody and Kayla then we have to go there first." She said.

"So be it." Micah folded up the map and turned back around to Kayla's father. "We need supplies. A lot. And a vehicle." He said.

Kayla's father looked from him to the two girls lying on the bed. "You cannot expect me to let four children venture into the unknown parts of the ancient forest alone. I will not permit it." He said.

"Your daughter is out there." Richard spoke up and walked next to Micah. "She's in this ancient forest with Kody right now. Only those two can truly end this war." He then looked to Mary. "And they are the only ones who can help Mary."

Senator Fitzgerald frowned and turned away. He placed one hand against the wall in front of him, sighing. "Goddesses give me strength." He spoke to himself. "Very well." He turned back to the group of kids. "But I will be sending several of my best men with you."

"No." Micah said. "If there is a large group fleeing from here then Ganondorf will get suspicious. It needs to be just us. Besides, you need every abled body man to take back the city while we are gone." Micah then looked at the others in their group. "I believe he will end up following us anyway. So we need to be a small group and move fast."

Kayla's father didn't ponder this long. Instead he sighed once more and rubbed his tired eyes. "My father side has to argue against this." He removed his hand and looked at the group of brave kids. "But the part of me that trusts my daughter knows that I have to let you go." He then pulled out his radio. "Very well, I will give you all the supplies you need."

Before he pressed the button he looked over at Mary's unconscious form. "You have to promise me one thing." He said. "Make sure that Kody keeps his promise. That my daughter, and the rest of you, will come home safely."

Micah didn't hesitate in his answer.

"I promise."

* * *

 _That Night…_

"So this is where I used to live?" Kody asked. He stepped towards his old home in Karikiko Village.

"One of your lives, yes. Your most recent one in fact. When you both faced Ganondorf one final time." Sahasrahla confirmed.

"Seems to have fallen apart." Kody mumbled with a frown. Noting that the roof was practically gone and one wall was torn down. The doorway seemed to be kicked in as well and there was almost nothing on the inside.

"Are we going to find somewhere to camp out for the night?" Kayla asked behind the two. She rubbed her arms. Feeling the cold of the night.

"Oh right." Kody said and then stepped inside the broken doorway of his ancient home. The two followed him inside while Epona and Tia looked at each other. Deciding to wait outside for the moment.

Kody still had the Master Sword in his hand as he walked inside. He didn't have a sheath for the weapon yet so he had to carry it in his hand. Not trusting to put it anywhere out of arms reach.

He walked to the end of the old home to where the hearth was. He looked inside to see that there was no evidence of anyone using it for more than a hundred years. Kody frowned and looked to his right to see several scraps of wood that used to be the roof. He placed them inside the fireplace, forming a triangle.

As he worked on building a fire Kayla came up to sit next to him. Folding her dress as she sat on her knees. She watched as he put tinder inside the fireplace and then took out his two stones to try and spark the fire to life.

Kody worked on it a few times before she cleared her throat. He paused in his fifth strike, signifying for her to say what was on her mind. "You… you never said how you got the Master Sword." She said in a soft tone.

Kody went back to striking the stones together two more times. On the second attempt the sparks went and ignited the tender. Bringing flame to the ancient hearth. He carefully blew on it, making sure it started up nicely before he answered her question.

"I ventured in the Lost Woods for a week." He said as he put the stones in his pocket. "I finally got a clue, but I had to face Lionel." He told her.

"Lionel?" Kayla questioned. Her sapphire eyes looking at him with curiosity.

"Oh right." He kept forgetting that she was missing for the majority of last year's battle. "He was a very powerful fighter. Sure he was blind but he knew how to use magic. And he was better at sword fighting than I was at the time."

"He worked for Ganondorf?" She asked him.

"No, not anymore. He lived a hard life. Experimented on, basically forced to fight for Ganondorf." Kody looked at the fire with sad eyes. He leaned back so that he was next to Kayla now as the fire started to pick up. "I fought him last year before we reached you. I didn't kill him. I couldn't."

"Why not?" She asked quietly. She wasn't asking why he didn't kill him because he should have. She was asking because she wanted to understand why he wouldn't kill him.

"I wasn't ready." This statement was more true than he thought before this day. "I also kind of cut off his arm." He admitted with an embarrassed smirk.

"You did what?" Kayla leaned back, shocked at what she just heard.

"I had to! He was going to hit Mary with magic!" Kody defended himself.

Kayla blinked several times, looking right at him. Then she shook her head and moved her eyes down. "Seriously, what happened while I was captured last year?"

Kody laughed lightly. He reached out with his left arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Many things, but I thought I told you everything?" He said, rubbing her arm with his left hand.

"Yeah but nothing on the fights you had to do." She mumbled, leaning against him.

"They weren't that special." Kody said dismissively.

"You fought your father and Ganondorf. And apparently a blind guy."

"Not to mention the indestructible beast of nature."

"I forgot about that! How did you guys manage to beat that thing?" She asked looking over at him. Her eyes were shining with curiosity.

"That one was a tough one." Kody laughed. "The thing just busted out of its cage then came at us. Mary's father tried to shoot it and that didn't work. So we ran in separate directions. I decided to make a stand and fight it. Richard backed me up. Again, guns didn't work. But my boomerang seemed to stun it for a moment. But we still couldn't beat it. That was until Richard and I created a plan to kill it once and for all."

"And what was that?" Kayla asked with obvious interest.

"I managed to wrap the chain back around its neck so that we could use that to break its neck. Even though it was a monster I was still responsible for killing it." Kody stared at the fire for a long moment. "Which makes me wonder why it took me so long to accept the fact that I have to do the necessary to make sure that good wins."

Kayla was silent for a moment. She knew what he was talking about. He had trouble doing the necessary. And Kayla could never fault him. Taking a life was hard. Something she could never do if faced with that decision. But apparently he had come to grips with this.

"Kody…" She said quietly.

He looked to her with wide blue eyes. Wondering with what she had to say.

"I'm sorry for all of this." She said. Pressing her head into his shoulder to hide her face. "If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have to do all of this."

She heard him chuckle lowly in the back of his throat. He squeezed her shoulder and pressed her body even closer to his. "It's not your fault." He told her. "It's my job. I am supposed to protect you." This didn't make her feel better. "And I want to make sure you stay untainted." This made her feel better. Even though it didn't comfort her.

He was willingly choosing to be the one to protect her. Despite everything they had been through he wanted to be the one to keep her safe. From all the evils and darkness they faced. He would stick his hand in so that she wouldn't have to get tainted.

She turned her head up and looked at him. Her left hand rested on his collar. Her fingers started to play with his golden chain necklace. Her index finger hooking at the end where the locket was. "Do you wish none of this would have happened?" She asked quietly. "That everything would have just stayed normal."

Kody quietly regarded this. He did often think how different his life would have been if these things never happened. He would be just a normal boy. Still in and out of foster care. Living a life that wasn't really going anywhere. Probably never getting as close to his best friend as he did. Despite all the bad things that happened the truth was he wouldn't trade this for a normal life.

"No, I don't." Kody said honestly. He looked down at the ground in disgust at the statement. "Even though everything bad has happened I wouldn't want it any other way."

Kayla gave him an odd look. But she still smiled. "You're too honest." She said. Her hand drifted from the necklace to his cheek. "But that's what is great about you." She slowly caressed his cheek which made him look at her with his blue eyes.

In Kayla's eyes was a spark. Something that was building from her concealed feelings. She had been hiding and burying those feelings for a while now. And they were starting to bottle over. Kody was an amazing person, and a one of a kind human being. He was very special to her, in more ways than one. How could she not have a girlish crush on her knight in shining armor? Or was it something even more.

However, in Kody's eyes was something different. Pure and utter confusion. He was hopelessly confused. She was looking at him weird. But her eyes, her eyes were… beautiful. 'Kayla's eyes are beautiful?' Kody thought to himself. It was a word he never used but it seemed fitting. She did seem very pretty, he would be blind not to admit it.

As quickly as the moment happened it passed. Kody turned away. In his mind he was trying to process what had just gone through his mind. Thinking his friend was pretty wasn't something taboo. He lived her after all. He had noticed that she was growing into a pretty girl. But now he was looking at her even more closely. And that was the part that was troubling him. Breaking ground that he didn't even know existed.

Kayla was frustrated. They were having this nice moment, so close to trying to decipher the thing between them. She knew it was there. Maybe not with him but definitely with her. And then he just looked away, again.

She knew she was being stupid. Telling herself it was just a crush of admiration she had for her best friend and it would pass. But it didn't. This adventure made it worse. The feeling in her heart and mind was swelling. And this troubled her. A lot recently.

"We should get some sleep." Kayla was surprised that those words came from her mouth. But her frustration with herself, and a small part with Kody, made her want to put some distance. She removed herself from him and went over towards the back where her blankets were. She went to lay down and saw that Kody didn't move.

"You sleep, I'll keep watch." He said.

She frowned and looked at him curiously. "You won't sleep?" She asked.

"During times like these I tend to survive with very little hours of sleep. I can manage a night or two without it." He said not looking at her.

"Very well." Kayla said. She laid down and turned her head away from him. She looked at the darkness for a long time. Thoughts not comforting her in the slightest. So she turned them to the mission. What lay ahead. The long travel back to Hylia and to take out Ganondorf.

Hopefully it would be as easy as it sounds.

* * *

The sun had yet to rise by the time that Kody grew board and went outside his ancient home. He began practicing with his sword outside. Walking through the steps and making himself comfortable with the Master Sword.

There wasn't much he could do besides wait for the sun to rise. It was true, he didn't need a lot of sleep. His warrior spirit kept him going at full speed with little reprieve. He was thankful for that in moments like these.

He went through the movements, moving and swinging. Adapting to the new blade as well as applying offensive moves to the defensive techniques he had learned from his uncle.

"Attacking comes naturally. There is no secret or real technique to being the attacker. In defending yourself is the true art. That's where you need the training."

Uncle Ben had said to him. He was right. Anyone could swing a sword and pick up on what works and what doesn't. Defense was something else however. Only the ones that knew what to do would survive from a good defense. So that was the majority of his training. Actually, all of it. Was from basic form defense to advanced techniques. He learned quite a bit in one week. He prayed it was enough.

The thought that the Goddesses put so much trust and faith in a young boy had him confused. Surely they could have picked someone better? Like a knight, or a king. But no, they had to pick him. He wasn't complaining. He just didn't quite understand it.

Kody stopped in his moves. He stood up straight and looked at the Master Sword. Wasn't this connected to the Goddesses? Could he communicate with them through it?

'How could I do that?' Kody thought. His mind went back to when he first pulled the sword out. How he heard their three voices. Maybe that was just a one time thing. Or maybe he could try again.

"Hey, um… Goddesses?" Kody asked the sword in an uncertain voice. "I have a question." He told the sword. He stopped and looked around. Making sure that no one was watching him talk to an inanimate object. He saw that Tia, the dire wolf, was sitting in the dirt about ten yards away from him. Just like she had been all morning. Everyone else was still asleep.

"Is there some way you could help us out? I mean, give me an idea or something? Ganondorf isn't exactly an easy opponent to take out." Kody sighed and looked away from the blade. "But of course you know that." He steadied his grip on the Master Sword, bringing it closer to him. "I kill him with the Master Sword, but what if that doesn't work? What if… what if I die?"

This was a question he had been pushing to the back of his mind for a long time. He was the only one who could wield the Master Sword. So if he fell who could take out Ganondorf? And how?

"I just want to know, is there another way to tale down Ganondorf?"

The silence was knowing to Kody. Seems like he was only talking to himself. He sighed, dropping one hand from the sword and letting it hang next to his side. "Figures." He mumbled.

As he turned away the wind began to pick up around him. Kody stopped and looked at the path in front of him. A small breeze flew past him. Tia whined and put her head down.

" _Hero…"_

A voice said. A sweet female voice spoke to him. It was one of the Goddesses.

" _Ganondorf, can only be killed…"_

" _By the Sword…"_

" _The Sword…"_

Kody heard their voices in the breeze that centered around him at the moment. Small particles of light came up around from the wind. They sparkled each time a voice was heard. Seems he was right. Ganondorf could only be killed by the sword. Seems like he was asking the wrong question.

"Is there another way to beat him? Without killing him?"

" _Impossible, Ganondorf is true evil…"_

" _No way to force him to submit…"_

" _Mercy is not for men with evil hearts…"_

"I don't want to show him mercy." Kody looked shown and shook his head. Tightening his grip on the sword. "If I die, I want to make sure my friends will have a way to beat him. There must be another way."

" _Hero cannot die…"_

" _Only one to save Hyrule…"_

" _Save the Princess…"_

"Please!" He said looking up. Pleading with them. "I need to know."

Silence echoed for several seconds. The Goddesses seemed to be thinking over an answer.

" _Connection, not yet strong…"_

" _Stronger, the Princess must be…"_

" _Need to repair the damage…"_

"Wait Kayla? A connection with you?"

" _Powerful magic required…"_

" _Answer you seek, is near…"_

" _Search the temple…"_

" _Temple can hold the magic…"_

" _Cannot be killed, but can be contained…"_

" _Search the temple…"_

And just like that the breeze left him along with the light particles. Seems like the Goddesses were dropping him a hint.

Their connection to the physical world was severed when Ganondorf stole the Triforce thousands of years ago. They were unable to manifest and guide their people. But they did still hold presence in the world. That was until the Triforce, their power in the world, was gone. They could no longer connect with the world. And now they were slowly coming back. Through Kayla's dreams and a small presence in the Master Sword. But they needed a stronger connection. Apparently through Kayla. That magic stuff again.

But what they said. Cannot be killed, but can be contained. And the temple can hold the magic. Were they talking about the Sacred Temple? Did Kayla need to go back there? Was there something they missed? These were the things better served for Kayla.

Kody looked over at Tia who picked her head up now. "Did that make sense to you?" Tia growled and laid down again. "Yeah I thought not." Kody turned and began walking towards the house, seeing that light was starting to rise up. Time to get everyone up and moving.

As he came close to Tia she stood up and barked. Kody saw that she was looking past him. He followed her gaze and looked ahead to what she was seeing. He could see lights in the distance. Not the usual fire lights he was used to but artificial lights. Headlights on a car.

"They found us." He said and then ran inside the house.

"Kayla!" He shouted, running in with sword still in hand. Sahasrahla woke up as well and began to get up. Kody moved and knelt down next to his best friend. "Kayla get up, we have to go!" He said, shaking her shoulder.

Kayla awoke with a start and looked up at him. "What's wrong?" She mumbled still trying to wake up.

"We've been found!" He said. He stood up and looked out the broken doorway again to see the vehicle approaching quickly. Kayla got up fast and followed his gaze.

"How did they find us?" She asked worriedly. Kody quickly moved in front of her, protectively.

"I don't know but we have to get out of here." As soon as he said that the large black SUV came up to the road and stopped in front of the house.

"Tia!" Kody yelled. The wolf responded and came inside, standing next to him. Epona was around the back, safe for now. Sahasrahla came back and stood behind the two. He was no fighter so he couldn't offer much anyway.

Kody stuck his hand behind him and Kayla gasped as he handed her the Master Sword. She took it in her left hand as Kody took his bow from off his back. He held it up and knocked back an arrow. "If anything happens to me run." Kody said. He held his aim steady as he stepped forward to the entryway of the broken house.

Kayla came up next to him and he turned his head to the side to look at her. "What are you doing?"

She held up the Master Sword in her left hand and then held up her right. It took only a moment for her hand to glow and then ignite in a red and orange glow. "We fight together now." She said holding her ignited hand up to attack.

Kody grunted and then looked forward to the vehicle. His bow still raised and ready to attack.

The vehicle turned off but the lights were still shining in his face. He squinted as he heard the sound of a door opening up. His arms moved to follow the sound.

"Kody!" His eyes widened and he immediately lowered his bow. "Kayla!" The voice said.

"Kari!?" Kayla called out. Her right hand lost its glow and she dropped her stance. She began to move forward as a figure came from the car. Kody stood and watched as Kayla started to rush forward at the figure. They both ran at each other and quickly embraced into a hug. Kody could see now that it was their redheaded friend, Kari.

Another door opened up and Kody looked past it to see Micah. The lights to the car went out and now he could see his friends in the natural light from the sun. Kody offered a small smile at seeing familiar faces.

Micah looked up at him, and Kody's smile fell. The look in Micah's eyes said it all. He had a forlorn look in his eyes. Like he was hurting. Micah never looked at him like that. A third door opened and Kody's eyes turned to it.

He dropped his hand and the bow hit the ground. Richard emerged from the vehicle, holding Mary in his arms. And she didn't look like she was conscious. Kody's heart flew into his throat as he rushed forward.

Kayla noticed his immediate change in demeanor and turned to look at him. Kari's face fell at realizing what was going to happen next. Micah stepped out of the way as Kody rushed past him to his sister.

Richard had a forlorn look as Kody came over. He rushed over and took Mary from his grasp.

"Mary!" He shouted. Holding her in his arms. She wasn't responding to that or his small shaking.

"She's unconscious." Micah said, looking over them. "She used her magic to heal Kari. We need your help." He turned to Kayla after saying that.

"She's out of magic?" Kayla asked worriedly.

"Yes." Kari said, looking guilty. Kayla looked at her friend. Sensing something very wrong in the group that just arrived. But first thing was first. She made her way over to Kody and Mary.

"Hold still." Kayla said to Kody. He looked at her and then nodded. The others crowded around and watched what was about to happen.

"What does that mean? She's out of magic?" Kody asked.

Kayla concentrated her magic into her hands and raised them over Mary. "Magic is connected to the life force. If you use up your life force you may die. I think she used too much magic and its starting to drain her life force." She explained.

"Wait, what about you?" Kody asked her. He didn't want Kayla being in danger either. But he still wanted Mary to be better.

"I'll be fine." Kayla assured him with a small smile. "I have a very large supply of magic." She held up the back of her left hand. "Benefits of being apart of the Triforce." She then focused on Mary.

The group watched as Kayla's hands started to glow light blue. The blue light seemed to engulf Mary's body. It took only a few moments before Mary's eyes slowly opened up. She looked to see Kayla then up to see her brother holding her.

"Kody!" She yelled and then grasped onto his neck. She held onto him tightly, not desiring to let go.

"Mary, you're alright." Kody said with a smile. He pressed the back of her head to him. He was so worried about her while he was here. Since she was stuck in the city. He felt concerned realizing that he couldn't save her if he needed to. But now she was here, and safe.

"We were worried about you!" Mary said as he held her still. Everyone smiled at the family reunion between the two siblings.

"Worried about me?" Kody asked as he pulled her back to look into her eyes. "Why would you be worried about me?" His smile started to falter as implications of them being here entered his mind. "Why are you guys here? What happened?" Kody asked.

Mary's smile fell and she looked past him to Kari. The older girl dropped her eyes to the ground. Micah looked away as well and Richard took a step back, to give them space. Kayla noticed the mood change and came forward. She stood next to Kody as he set Mary down.

"Mary." Kody knelt in front of her so that they were eye to eye. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "What happened?"

His look wasn't angry or inquisitive. It was a worried look that he gave her. As if he knew what was coming next. But he still didn't want to hear it. No one wants to hear the bad news.

"We had to come find you." Mary started off quietly. "We wanted to warn you that Ganondorf has a map leading him here."

"How could he get a map?" Kody asked.

"I… managed to create one, using magic." Mary said, looking away shamefully.

"She had to." Kari said from a few feet away. "Ganondorf was… torturing me." She found it hard to relive that memory. "She gave him a map to save me."

Kody's eyes looked at their red headed friend in shock. "Torture?" He gasped out.

"Ganondorf caught us." Mary continued. He turned his eyes back to his sister. "He wanted a map and was prepared to do anything to get it."

"But how did he capture you? Why didn't-" Kody stopped. His eyes widened as he looked around the group. Noticing that they were losing a few people. After seeing who was not present he looked back at his sister. "Where's your father?"

Mary couldn't stop the tears that began to well up in her eyes at the thought of her father. "My father…" She whimpered at having to say it.

"He sacrificed himself to save us." Richard said for her. "He delayed them long enough for us to escape."

Kody took his hands from Mary's shoulders and stood up. His eyes were downcast at the severity of such a statement. He shook his head in disbelief. "And, my uncle?"

"I'm sorry." Was all Mary said.

Kayla gasped and held her hand over her mouth. They had lost both of them? Her eyes went to her best friend for his reaction. Kody looked up and at his sister. "No." He said shaking his head. "Not both of them. No, I can't…"

He turned and walked away from the group. Without another word.

Kayla turned to follow him but Micah grabbed onto her arm. She turned to see the sad look on his face. He shook his head.

However, when Mary ran past them all to go after her brother, none of them stopped her.

"He needs his family right now. The only family he has left." Micah explained to her.

"We are his family." Kayla argued.

"We weren't there with him when his mom passed, or when he was stuck in a foster home." Kari reasoned. "He needs his sister right now Kayla."

Kayla looked down and ripped her arm from Micah's grip. But she didn't move. Instead she huffed in annoyance, knowing that they were right. She shook her head as Kari walked next to her.

"It's alright, we all feel a little powerless right now." Kari said, offering Kayla the smallest of smiles.

"I just want to help." Kayla admitted softly. Looking at her friend. "After everything he's helped me with I just want to help him. With anything I can."

"I know. You'll get your chance. But you have to wait for that moment."

Kayla realized they were right now. She just wanted to talk with him because she felt the need to help him. Not because he needed her right now. What he needed was family. His real family. His only family.

* * *

He didn't understand. Perhaps there was some higher knowledge behind the fact that everyone close to him couldn't survive. Something beyond what he could comprehend. He truly didn't know.

But this cut so deep.

Kody went away from the group and into the shining sun light. He walked until he reached the edge of the river. Then he sat down and looked at the river bank. His right hand was brushing on the grass, trying to keep himself calm.

The impact of the information he just heard was nearly too much. Finding out the only family you had left had died would do such things to you. Well most of the family he had left.

"You can't sneak up on me." Kody told his sister. She came walking up, not trying to sneak honestly. But she was approaching quietly altogether. "As much as I wished someone could. It's impossible now."

Mary walked in front of him and stood in the path of his view. Kody kept his gaze towards the river still. She stood there, silently.

"Are you going to say something or should I?" Kody asked finally.

"You can't afford this." She said.

Kody looked up at her now. The look in her eyes was one of disappointment. This confused him. What was she disappointed with? Was it him?

"What can't I afford?" Kody asked her.

"To pity yourself."

Kody laughed sadly. "Pity myself? Is that what you think I am doing?"

Mary knelt in front of him and kept her hardened gaze. "That is what you're doing. You want to have a little cry fest because you got some bad news." Mary poked her finger into his shoulder. "You are the hero. Crying about things isn't in your job description."

"It's my family!" Kody cried out. "It's your family too! Why aren't you crying about it?"

"I've already shed my tears." Mary's voice started to break. Those tears she already shed started to come back into her eyes. "I've cried more than you know. And I'm still hurting." She reached up and grasped onto his cheeks with both hands. "Our family is gone. Our mother, our uncle, my father!" She gasped out a sob.

Kody's eyes softened. She was trying to put up the illusion that she was strong. But it was starting to fail. He saw what she was wanting. For him to suck it up and be the strong one for the both of them. She needed that. She needed her brother more than he needed support.

"Mary…" He whispered.

"I need my brother." She said softly now. Her teary eyes still looking hard into him. "I need the hero you are supposed to be." Her hands ran down his cheeks to cup under his chin. "You are stronger than all of us." Her hands dropped down and she pressed her forehead against his chest. "I need that, Kody. Please." She cried.

Kody felt his own heart break. His sister was begging him to be the stronger person. To not break under these extreme circumstances. To be her strong tower in the breaking storm. How could he not answer his sister's request?

He reached up and put his hands on her back. Pushing her to him in an embrace. "I understand Mary." He told her. He rubbed her back as she cried into his chest. "I get it now."

"I… j-just don't want, want t-to lose you." She cried.

"You won't Mary." He said. She kept crying and he closed his eyes. "I'm here. You won't lose me."

Kody let her cry for a few minutes. She didn't have to stay strong anymore. He wanted her to let out her emotion. Let her be a little girl again and feel the pain of the loss. Instead of closing herself off and becoming a void. No one would benefit from Mary becoming a living statue.

He wasn't emotionless either. But Kody understood that there was a time to mourn and a time to be strong for others. This was his time to be strong for Mary. She told him that, in not so many words. And Kody was thankful for his sister. For the only family he had left.

"You told me what I needed to hear. Not what I wanted to hear." Kody whispered to his sister. "Thank you Mary."

She pulled back and looked up at him. Giving him her smallest smile. "You knew what you had to do. You just wanted someone to tell you."

He smiled back at her and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I guess I'm still adjusting to who I really am."

Mary brought up her hands to press onto his cheeks again. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to her brother's. Both closing their eyes and a true smile spreading across Mary's lips. "I love you big brother." She told him.

"I love you too little sister."

Mary then stood up and took him by the hand, leading him back to the group.

They had needed this conversation. This moment between brother and sister. Alone. For two kids so young they had already lost so much. Their entire family. Their mother, each of their fathers. Their uncle and anyone else who was connected to them. Being in the business of protecting the most valuable secret in the history of the world tended to have its downsides. Like your life being in constant jeopardy.

This emotional strain and physical loss was putting the two young kids near the breaking point. But they still had each other. And that would be enough for them to continue on. The last two surviving members of the descendants of Link. And the last members from the Guardians of the Triforce. Most importantly, the last members of their family. They would continue on, together.

* * *

"What's the story with the wolf?" Kari asked, looking at Tia. The dire wolf was up and looking out towards the east, where Kody went. She stood there, unmoving.

"Will it attack us?" Richard asked. He was a foot behind Kari, looking at Tia.

Micah went over, past the other two, and approached the wolf. He went to stick his hand out and Tia turned her head. She growled at Micah who stopped in his movement. Kayla watched as Micah narrowed his eyes and moved his hand forward.

Tia stopped her growling and let Micah touch her. She turned her head back to the east as Micah gently stroked her fur. Kayla raised her eyebrows as Micah petted the wild beast.

"No," Kayla finally answered. "She was a pet of Ganondorf." Tia growled and looked at Kayla as she mentioned that name. "But we saved her." Tia seemed to agree with that and looked back to the east. Letting Micah pet her the entire time.

"She?" Richard asked. Kayla looked at Kari and noticed her friend staring at Micah. This didn't occur as odd to the young princess. Since Micah seemed to make friends with the ancient wolf almost immediately.

"Yes, Tia is a she." Kayla answered.

"Tia? That's a nice name." Kari said.

"It was Kody's mother's name." Kayla said. Smiling at Tia who still kept her attention to the direction that Kody went. Tia was loyal. Extremely loyal to Kody.

"And this wolf listens to you?" Kari asked. Now eyeing the wolf.

"She, listens to me when Kody isn't around. And she isn't a wolf. She is a dire wolf." Kayla said. Now moving over to Tia. She stood in front of her and knelt down. Tia noticed this and looked at Kayla with her large animal eyes. She whined and dipped her head down. Kayla smiled and petted her head. Micah saw this and withdrew his hand.

"A dire wolf?" Micah asked. "They are supposed to be large as horses." Epona snorted and he looked over towards her. "No offense."

"She's still a puppy." They all looked at Kody who returned. Being led by Mary who held his hand. Tia perked up and opened her mouth, breathing loudly in excitement. Kody patted her head and stood next to Kayla. "She'll grow still." He said with a smile.

"Goddesses." Micah breathed out. Looking at the white pelt of the dire wolf. "I am glad you have her trained."

"Well," Kody started. "She's not exactly trained. But she listens to us." He explained.

Kayla stood up and smiled at her best friend. She went to hug him but stopped. She looked over her shoulder to look at their friends. Kayla cleared her throat and looked down as she smoothed out her dress. "Everything alright?" She asked formally, looking at him now.

Kody's eyes went from his new pet to his best friend. He gave her a smile. "Yes, everything's alright." He looked back down at Tia and scratched her chin. "I'm alright girl." He told the dire wolf. "So Ganondorf knows where we are?" He asked looking up at the rest of them.

Micah and Kari nodded while Richard still eyed the dangerous wolf. Kayla quickly picked up the Master Sword and went back to Kody. She offered it to him and he took it in his right hand. Mary stood to his left while Kayla stood on his right.

"He doesn't have a map but he will get one." Mary said, looking up at her brother. "He knows how."

Kody nodded and then turned away. He walked a few feet away from the girls on both sides. Swinging the Master Sword up and resting it on his back, still in his hand. "Ganondorf has a map." He said to himself.

"He will be coming, who knows when?" Richard said.

"He will bring a large force as well." Micah agreed.

"Can the Master Sword beat him?" Kari asked.

Kody looked out at the scene in front of him. The broken village of Karikiko. Then he looked to the elder. Sahasrahla was standing there as well. Staring at him through squinted eyes. He nodded and then turned back around.

"The Master Sword can kill him." Kody confirmed. "But if I fail…"

"You won't." Kayla said moving towards him.

"If I fail." He continued. Even though he knew the implications of what such statement meant. "There is another way."

"What do you mean?" Micah asked.

"Is it really what we thought?" Richard asked, looking at Kari. Kody and Kayla didn't understand what they were talking about but the young boy continued.

"We have to go back to the temple." Kody said, still holding the sword on his back. "The Goddesses will help us. They want us to go back to the temple." He looked at Kayla. "And you will have the answers."

"Me?" Kayla asked.

"Yes, they were specific on that." Kody said. He swung the Master Sword off his back and put the tip in the dirt. "If… if I do fall, there is another way to defeat Ganondorf." He looked at the rest of their friends. "But we have to get her back to the temple for this to happen."

They all took a moment to look at each other and then nodded. "Aright." Kari said folding her arms. "So where is this temple?" She asked.

Kody sighed and looked to the east. Where their enemies were. "I hope we can make it in time."

* * *

Fin.

A/N: So almost all talking this time. But I thought it was important. We had to understand how Kody and Mary felt in the wake of their loss. And that Kody/Link must remain as the strong pillar. He is still trying to find his place as the Hero. As a thirteen year old boy he is having trouble remembering what he is. His family, only family, had to remind him of his place. And it's not easy. I hope you felt the emotion between the siblings. That was my goal. I originally wanted the whole chapter to be centered around Mary and Kody but I realized I was beating a dead horse so I shortened it. I hope it still worked. And the scene with Kody and Kayla was meant to push an agenda of mine along.

Anyway I hope you still liked this chapter despite all the talking, please leave a review with what you think!


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